What was the purpose of the Emancipation Proclamation?

The Emancipation Proclamation was pivotal in American history as it aimed specifically to free enslaved people in the Confederate states. Issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, it declared that all enslaved individuals in the states still in rebellion against the Union would be set free. This action was not just a moral stance; it also aimed to weaken the Confederacy, which relied heavily on slave labor for its economy and war efforts. By freeing the enslaved, the proclamation sought to undermine the Confederacy's ability to sustain itself in the Civil War.

While the proclamation did not immediately free all enslaved people, it was a crucial step towards abolishing slavery in the United States and laid the groundwork for the eventual passage of the 13th Amendment, which formally abolished slavery. The action helped to transform the nature of the Civil War from a struggle to preserve the Union into a fight for freedom, aligning the war more closely with the principles of equality and human rights.

The other options do not accurately reflect the purpose of the Emancipation Proclamation. Ending the Civil War was a broader goal that involved many strategies beyond the proclamation itself. Expanding U.S. territory and granting women the right to vote are unrelated to the