Final answer:
The statement is false; Lincoln's primary purpose in issuing the Emancipation Proclamation was to free slaves in Confederate states actively rebelling, not the slaves in border states. It served as a military strategy and a pivotal step towards the eventual abolition of slavery.
Step-by-step explanation:
False: Abraham Lincoln's primary purpose in issuing the Emancipation Proclamation was not to free the slaves of the border states. The proclamation declared free only those slaves in Confederate states in active rebellion against the Union as of January 1, 1863. It left more than 700,000 slaves in bondage in the border states and Union-occupied areas of Louisiana, Tennessee, and Virginia. The border states were not in rebellion, and thus Lincoln did not apply the proclamation there in an effort to maintain their loyalty to the Union.
The Emancipation Proclamation also signaled a shift in the Union war effort towards the abolition of slavery as a key war aim, in addition to preserving the Union. It was strategized as a military measure to undermine the Confederacy's capacity to wage war by impacting their labor force. Despite its limitations, the proclamation marked a significant transformation in American history, laying the groundwork for future legislation to abolish slavery completely, particularly with the eventual passage of the Thirteenth Amendment.