Emancipation+Proclamation+er

The Emancipation Proclamation: President Abraham Lincoln announced that he would issue the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862. The document was to come into effect on January 1, 1863. This document stated that all slaves living in the states in rebellion would be freed. But, if you think back to earlier times, these states in rebellion had already seceeded from the Union. This would mean that they wouldn't necessarily have to follow what the Union says. The slave owners didn't necessarily listen to this, but the slaves did. Once word spread around that Lincoln had issued this document, the slaves started leaving their owners and heading into the Northern States where they were then allowed to join the army, which many of them did; they were very skilled fighters. This was a huge turning point in the war. This document may not have freed all the slaves in all of the states, but it did have an effect on the people.