BLACK HISTORY FACTS

Emancipation Proclamation Facts

President Lincoln
President Abraham Lincoln

Introduction - Emancipation Proclamation

On January 1st of 1863 the Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on September 22nd of 1862, went into effect changing the legal status of three million slaves from "slave" to "free." The issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation is considered a great event in black history; however this is a complicated issue and there are many who have thought its importance was minimal and that it was a half-measure at best in addressing slavery in America. It is important to realize that the proclamation only declared slaves in the Confederacy free, and the Confederacy was not about to comply with a Union proclamation to free its slaves. However most historians agree the Emancipation Proclamation was an important step towards the total abolition of slavery in the United States. On this page is a list of interesting facts about this document written for both kids, who may be writing Black History Month reports, and adults. Information on this page includes how the Emancipation Proclamation affected the Civil War, what slaves it freed, and why President Lincoln decided to issue it.

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List of Emancipation Proclamation Facts