Emancipation Proclamation
E1484
The Emancipation Proclamation was a landmark 1863 executive order during the American Civil War that declared enslaved people in Confederate-held territories to be free, transforming the war’s purpose and paving the way for abolition.
Aliases (1)
Statements (47)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
executive order
→
legal document → presidential proclamation → |
| affectedPopulation |
millions of enslaved African Americans in Confederate-controlled areas
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|
| announcedThat |
enslaved people in designated rebellious states would be free if those states did not return to the Union by January 1, 1863
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|
| appliedTo |
Confederate-held territories
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|
| archivedAt |
National Archives and Records Administration
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|
| author |
Abraham Lincoln
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|
| commemoratedOn |
Emancipation Day observances in various U.S. jurisdictions
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|
| conflictContext |
American Civil War
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|
| country |
United States of America
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|
| dateIssued |
1863-01-01
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|
| declaredStatusOfEnslavedPeople |
free in areas in rebellion against the United States
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|
| didNotApplyTo |
Union-occupied areas of the Confederacy specifically exempted
→
border slave states loyal to the Union → |
| documentType |
presidential proclamation and executive order
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|
| effectiveDate |
1863-01-01
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|
| effectOnWarAims |
made abolition of slavery an explicit Union war goal
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|
| followedBy |
Union military advances that enforced emancipation in Confederate territories
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|
| fullTitle |
By the President of the United States of America: A Proclamation
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|
| historicalSignificance |
major turning point in the American Civil War
→
symbolic milestone in the destruction of slavery in the United States → |
| influenced |
Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
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|
| internationalImpact |
discouraged foreign recognition of the Confederacy by emphasizing slavery as a central issue
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|
| language |
English
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|
| legalBasisClaimed |
presidential war powers as commander in chief
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|
| legalEffect |
changed legal status of enslaved people in designated Confederate areas from enslaved to free
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|
| legalStatus |
executive order of the U.S. federal government
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|
| limitedBy |
Union military control required for actual enforcement
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|
| locationSigned |
Washington, D.C.
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|
| mediaType |
handwritten and printed document
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|
| militaryProvision |
authorized enlistment of African American men in the Union armed forces
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|
| officeHolder |
President of the United States
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|
| pavedWayFor |
abolition of slavery throughout the United States
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|
| precededBy |
Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation
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|
| preliminaryVersionDate |
1862-09-22
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|
| purpose |
to transform the Civil War into a war against slavery
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to weaken the Confederacy by freeing enslaved people in rebelling states → |
| recognizedBy |
historians as a landmark in civil rights history
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|
| relatedTo |
American abolitionist movement
→
Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution → |
| resultedIn |
large-scale enlistment of Black soldiers in the Union Army and Navy
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|
| signedBy |
Abraham Lincoln
→
|
| signedDuringPresidencyOf |
Abraham Lincoln
→
|
| subjectOf |
extensive historical scholarship
→
numerous commemorations, exhibits, and public education programs → |
| symbolized |
Union commitment to ending slavery
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|
Referenced by (12)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
American Civil War
→
Union → |
significantEvent |
|
Lincoln family
→
|
associatedWithEvent |
|
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
→
|
effectivelyUnderminedBy |
|
Black Codes
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|
followedEvent |
|
Reconstruction Amendments
→
|
influencedBy |
|
Abraham Lincoln
→
|
issued |
|
Abraham Lincoln
→
|
notableWork |
|
Emancipation Proclamation
("Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation")
→
|
precededBy |
|
"I Have a Dream" speech
→
|
referencesDocument |
|
African-American history
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|
relatedToEvent |
|
1864 United States presidential election
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|
tookPlaceAfter |