What was emancipation Proclamation?
Lincoln asked the South to stop fighting and come back to the Union. When South did not do that, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The Proclamation was issued on September 22, 1862. It took effect on January 1, 1863. It ended slavery, but not completely. It said that slaves who lived in Confederacy will be free only if the Union won. It also did not include “territories” such as around New Orleans. Lincoln waited until Union started winning to issue it. It was one of the most important documents in our history.
