1863

The Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation was issued on September 22, 1862. This was followed by the Final Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. These were issued by President Lincoln as a result of pressure from abolitionists, Republican congressmen, and many of his own generals. The Proclamation of 1863 declared that slaves in areas still in rebellion were “then, thenceforward, and forever free.” Since these areas were beyond Union control, the Proclamation did not free any slaves. The Proclamation did redefine the goals of the Union in the Civil War.