Final answer:
The Emancipation Proclamation, issued in January 1863, changed the meaning of the Civil War and paved the way for the eventual abolition of slavery in the United States.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer to what was a result of the Emancipation Proclamation is A) The meaning of the war changed. This historic document, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declared that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious states "henceforward shall be free." However, it was limited in scope to areas still in rebellion and thus did not immediately free all slaves in the United States. It also meant that as Union troops advanced into the Confederate states, more enslaved people found the opportunity to escape, often seeking protection within Union camps. As the Civil War progressed, the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation also shifted the war's focus from purely preserving the Union to one of ending slavery, thereby redefining the Union's war aims and adding moral force to the war effort.
While initially, the Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on slaves in the South, as it applied only to areas still in rebellion, the presence of Union troops later in the war facilitated the escape of slaves from plantations. The proclamation also had broader implications, deterring any potential recognition of the Confederacy by the British government and allowing for the enlistment of nearly 200,000 black soldiers into the Union army, thus helping to change the course of the war. Ultimately, the proclamation paved the way for the total abolition of slavery, which became enshrined in law with the passage of the 13th Amendment.