On January 1st, 1863, during the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all slaves in Confederate-held territory to be forever free. It was a pivotal step toward abolition.
On January 1st, 1863, during the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all slaves in Confederate-held territory to be forever free. It was a pivotal step toward abolition.