What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

The Emancipation Proclamation was a pivotal document issued by President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War, specifically on January 1, 1863. Its primary purpose was to declare that all enslaved individuals in states or territories that were in rebellion against the Union—known as Confederate-held territory—were to be set free. This proclamation marked a significant turning point in the war and in the fight against slavery, aiming to weaken the Confederacy's labor force and galvanize support for the Union cause.

The Emancipation Proclamation is often considered a crucial step towards the eventual abolition of slavery in the United States, further solidified by the Thirteenth Amendment. Its impact was not only legal but also symbolic, signaling a change in the Union's war goals to include a moral imperative against slavery.

Other answers relate either to events or developments that occurred later in history, such as the Reconstruction era, women's suffrage, or social security, none of which are associated with the Emancipation Proclamation itself. This reinforces the significance of the proclamation in altering the status of enslaved individuals during the Civil War and its lasting legacy in American history.