The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, was historically significant as it marked a pivotal moment in the American Civil War. It declared the freedom of all enslaved individuals in Confederate-held territory, fundamentally shifting the war's focus from solely preserving the Union to also addressing the issue of slavery. The Proclamation added moral legitimacy to the Union's cause and allowed for the enlistment of Black soldiers into the Union Army, bolstering its ranks. While it did not immediately free all enslaved people, it set the stage for the eventual abolition of slavery with the 13th Amendment in 1865.