Final answer:
The Battle of Antietam immediately preceded the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation during the American Civil War.
Step-by-step explanation:
The American Civil War battle that immediately preceded the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation was the Battle of Antietam. This battle took place on September 17, 1862, in Maryland. It was the first major battle of the Civil War that occurred on Union soil and resulted in a high number of casualties. President Lincoln waited for the Union victory at Antietam to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862. The Emancipation Proclamation declared that slaves in Confederate-held territories were to be free, a transformative moment in the progression of the Civil War and helped redefine the purpose of the war to include the abolition of slavery.