The Emancipation Proclamation had an enormous impact on the Civil War. One of the most important ones was the fact that it changed the objectives of the North. At the beginning of the war, the North was mostly concerned with reuniting the nation. However, after the Proclamation, emancipation became a very important goal as well.
Another important change took place among the Confederate troops. The slaves of the Confederate troops provided great support during the war. They cooked food, sewed clothes, repaired railways, etc. As the news spread, many of them escaped to Union lines. This caused confusion and chaos among the Confederacy, weakening their position.