Final answer:
Blacks in Confederate territories reacted to the Emancipation Proclamation by escaping to Union lines and supporting the war effort, with over 190,000 enlisting as soldiers. Despite initial uncertainty, the proclamation signaled a shift towards the necessity of abolishing slavery and was an ideological turning point.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, blacks in Confederate territories under Union control reacted with a mixture of reactions. Initially, there was little concrete change for slaves in the Confederate South, as slave owners did not recognize federal law and had no intention of freeing their slaves. However, the presence of Union troops in 1863 led to many slaves becoming restive. They began to seize property and flock to federal camps, as documented by Union generals such as Ulysses S. Grant. This migration of slaves towards Union forces was a symbol of their desire for freedom and change.
Despite fears of insurrection, the slaves did not engage in the wide-scale rioting and looting that had been predicted by Southern leaders. Instead, the Emancipation Proclamation emboldened many enslaved individuals to escape to Union lines, where they contributed to the war effort by enlisting as soldiers, where their numbers eventually grew to over 190,000. The influx of black soldiers bolstered the Union ranks and helped shift the war in favor of the North, with freed slaves and free blacks fighting valiantly both on and off the battlefield.
The proclamation also signaled a significant ideological shift—while initially met with mixed reactions, it became a step toward recognizing the necessity of abolishing slavery. Frederick Douglass and other black abolitionists influenced this perception, pushing for the Union to not only fight the Confederate Army but to also dismantle slavery itself.