The historical significance of the Emancipation Proclamation lies in its role as a turning point in the U.S. Civil War and a step towards abolishing slavery. Issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, it declared the freedom of all slaves in Confederate-held territory, reshaping the war's purpose to include the fight for freedom. While it did not immediately free all enslaved individuals, it signaled a commitment to the notion of equality and human rights, paving the way for the eventual passage of the 13th Amendment, which formally abolished slavery in the United States.