The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, granted freedom to slaves in Confederate states. This pivotal document changed the nature of the Civil War, transforming it from a battle for the Union into a fight for freedom. While the proclamation did not immediately free all slaves, it signaled a shift in Union policy towards emancipation and encouraged enslaved people to escape or join the Union army. It also ensured that the war efforts were aligned with moral imperatives, ultimately culminating in the passage of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in the United States.