Final answer:
The Emancipation Proclamation, signed by President Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declared that slaves in rebellion states would be freed, marking a significant step towards abolishing slavery.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Emancipation Proclamation, enacted by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declared all slaves in areas still in rebellion against the United States to be free. While strategically employed as a war measure, it marked a crucial shift in the war's purpose towards the abolition of slavery. However, the proclamation did not immediately emancipate all enslaved individuals, as it excluded areas not in active rebellion or already under Union control.
This included slave-holding border states and specific regions like Tennessee, parts of Virginia, and Louisiana. Despite its limitations, the Emancipation Proclamation represented a moral high ground, signaling a commitment to ending slavery and played a pivotal role in redefining the Union's war aims, aligning them with the broader objective of securing freedom for all.