jan 1, 1863 - Emancipation Proclamation
Description:
On the first day of 1863, almost two years into the Civil War, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This executive order freed all the slaves in the Confederacy, but not the slaves in the North. Regardless, this was a historically important event for slaves because it marked the beginning of efforts to finally free them, after hundreds and hundreds of years of being forced into terrible conditions and backbreaking labor. The Emancipation Proclamation gave the war a more moral purpose by encouraging the North to fight for the freedom of slaves. It also, however, ensured that a compromise would not be possible to reconcile the North and South, leading to the war lasting longer than it could have.
Added to timeline:
Civil War Memorial Project Timeline
Date:
