The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declared the freedom of all enslaved people in Confederate-held territories. While it did not immediately free all slaves, it was a pivotal step toward abolishing slavery in the United States, signaling a moral commitment to ending the institution. The proclamation allowed for the enlistment of African American soldiers in the Union Army, bolstering the fight against the Confederacy. It also shifted the war's focus, associating the Union cause with the principles of liberty and justice, ultimately leading to the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery.