What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

The Emancipation Proclamation is a crucial document in American history, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. Its primary effect was to declare that all slaves in the Confederate states were to be set free. This action was aimed at weakening the Confederacy's ability to sustain the war, as the economy in those states heavily relied on enslaved labor. By freeing the enslaved individuals in those states, the Proclamation not only aimed to assist in the Union's victory but also set a moral compass for the nation regarding slavery.

The significance of this act goes beyond immediate emancipation; it also shifted the Civil War’s focus from solely preserving the Union to including the liberation of enslaved people as a pivotal goal. While the Proclamation did not immediately free all enslaved individuals — it applied only to the areas in rebellion and not to the border states loyal to the Union — it marked a critical turning point in attitudes toward slavery.

The other options reflect important aspects of American history but are not connected to the Emancipation Proclamation directly. Women gaining the right to vote, the end of the Civil War, and the establishment of civil rights came later and through different legislative and social changes. Thus, the answer is fundamentally correct