The signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, was significant as it declared the freedom of all enslaved people in Confederate-held territory during the American Civil War. Although it did not immediately free all enslaved individuals, it marked a fundamental shift in the war's purpose, transitioning it from solely a fight to preserve the Union to a moral crusade against slavery. The Proclamation also allowed for the enlistment of African American soldiers in the Union Army, further empowering the fight for freedom and civil rights. It paved the way for the eventual abolition of slavery with the 13th Amendment.