It was a presidential proclamation: The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln, who had the constitutional authority to issue such a proclamation.
It declared that all slaves in Confederate states were free: The Proclamation declared that all slaves in states that had seceded from the Union and were currently in rebellion against the United States would be "forever free" from January 1, 1863, onwards.
It was a military measure: The Proclamation was issued as a military measure to help the Union army in the Civil War. By declaring the slaves in Confederate states to be free, it was hoped that they would join the Union army, thus weakening the Confederate forces.
It did not apply to slaves in non-rebellious states: The Proclamation did not apply to slaves in non-rebellious states, such as the border states, which remained loyal to the Union.
It did not abolish slavery entirely: The Emancipation Proclamation did not abolish slavery entirely in the United States. It only applied to slaves in Confederate states that were in rebellion against the Union.
Answers & Comments
Answer: