Final answer:
The Emancipation Proclamation, issued on January 1, 1863, by President Abraham Lincoln, freed enslaved African Americans in Confederate states and marked a turning point in the Civil War towards abolishing slavery.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, freed African Americans who were enslaved in the Confederate states. It signaled a shift in the Civil War's aim towards ending slavery and allowed for the recruitment of Black troops into the Union forces. The proclamation had limitations, as it didn't free slaves in the border states or areas under Union control, and initially had little impact on slaves in the South due to the lack of Union army's presence in those areas.
As the Union armies advanced, the presence of Union troops encouraged slaves to leave plantations and seek freedom. The inclusion of nearly 200,000 African American soldiers, making up 10 percent of Union forces by the end of the war, proved vital to the Union's ultimate victory. Despite its limitations, the Emancipation Proclamation was a compelling step towards the eventual abolition of slavery and the redefinition of American society.