jan 1, 1863 - Emancipation Proclamation

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At the beginning of the Civil War, Lincoln made a point to focus on the preservation of the Union instead of the abolition of slavery. He thought it would be a smarter war strategy, but changed his mind during the war. After the Union victory at Antietam, Lincoln released a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, announcing that, as of January 1, slaves in rebelling states would be free. He and other Republicans recognized, however, that the E.P. was a wartime measure and didn't apply to Northern states, which is why the Thirteenth Amendment was drafted soon afterward.

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