Question

. Which of the following groups were freed officially by the Emancipation Proclamation? 1. slaves living in the western territories

2. slaves living in border states
3. slaves living in areas controlled by the Confederacy
4. slaves living in areas controlled by the Union

Answer 1

The Emancipation Proclamation officially freed slaves in areas controlled by the Confederacy, excluding border states, Union-occupied areas, and the western territories. The correct answer is option 3.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declared that slaves living in areas controlled by the Confederacy were henceforth and forever free. However, it did not effectively free slaves in the border states—Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri—as these states were not in active rebellion against the Union. Nor did it apply to slaves living in Western territories or areas already under Union control. The Proclamation strategically targeted Confederate states to weaken their war effort by eliminating slave labor and encouraging the enlistment of black soldiers into the Union Army. While the Emancipation Proclamation did not immediately enforce freedom for all enslaved people, it symbolized a turning point in the Civil War, redefining the Union’s war aims to include the end of slavery.