Final answer:
The Emancipation Proclamation, while a key document in history, did not immediately free all enslaved individuals but rather applied to states in rebellion during the Civil War. It had a significant impact by changing the war's objectives towards ending slavery and allowing black soldiers to serve in the Union Army.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Emancipation Proclamation, signed by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, is often seen as the document that freed the slaves in America. However, its immediate effect was more symbolic and strategic than practical in ending slavery.
While it stated that all persons held as slaves in states or parts of states in rebellion against the United States "shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free," its enforcement was limited to areas where the Union Army had control. Areas still under Confederate control did not recognize the proclamation, and areas not in rebellion, including border states and certain Union-occupied parts of the South, were not affected by it.
Despite its limitations, the Emancipation Proclamation was a crucial step towards abolition because it shifted the Civil War's objective towards ending slavery and allowed for the enlistment of black soldiers in the Union Army, which was transformative for the war effort and the nation's future.