The Emancipation Proclamation

Though the Emancipation Proclamation is widely thought of as having brought an end to the despicable institution of slavery in the United States, the truth is a bit more complicated. The document actually freed slaves only in the lands in rebellion against the United States, so it had little immediate effect. That said, the proclamation did eventually free millions of people, enable African Americans to become Union soldiers, and make ending slavery one of the stated goals of the war. This volume explains how closely examining those sources gives us a better understanding of historical events and figures.