WEST-E Social Studies Practice Test 2026 – Comprehensive All-in-One Study Guide for Exam Success

The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declared that all enslaved people in Confederate-held territories were to be set free. This was a strategic move during the Civil War, aiming to weaken the Confederacy by undermining its labor force and fortifying the Union's moral stance against slavery. While it did not immediately free all enslaved individuals across the United States, it marked a significant turning point in American history by officially linking the war effort to the cause of emancipation. The proclamation also paved the way for the eventual passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, which would permanently abolish slavery in the entire country.