What was one consequence of the Emancipation Proclamation?

The Emancipation Proclamation was a significant executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War. Its primary consequence was to declare that all enslaved people in Confederate states were to be set free. This action was strategically aimed at weakening the Confederate states' war efforts by depriving them of their labor force, which relied heavily on enslaved individuals. The proclamation also redefined the purpose of the war, adding the moral imperative of ending slavery to the Union's fight to preserve the nation.

While it didn’t immediately free all slaves (as it applied only to the states in rebellion), it marked the beginning of the process toward abolition and laid the groundwork for future amendments to the Constitution that would ultimately ensure freedom for all enslaved people in the United States. The Emancipation Proclamation turned the struggle against the Confederacy into a fight for freedom and human rights, influencing the attitudes of both the soldiers and the public towards the institution of slavery.