Final answer:
The immediate change in the status of slaves on 1 January 1863, as a result of the Emancipation Proclamation, was that slaves in Confederate-held territory were declared free.
Step-by-step explanation:
The immediate change in the status of slaves on 1 January 1863, as a result of the Emancipation Proclamation, was that slaves in Confederate-held territory were declared free.
Although the Emancipation Proclamation did not immediately free all slaves, it was a significant step towards ending slavery in the United States. The proclamation stated that all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, where the people were in rebellion against the United States, would be freed.
However, it is important to note that the Emancipation Proclamation did not apply to slaves in Union states or areas under Union control. It only targeted Confederate-held territory and set the stage for the eventual abolition of slavery throughout the nation.