"On the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free." — Abraham Lincoln, Emancipation Proclamation, January 1, 1863
The proclamation produced which significant strategic consequence for the Union?
- A
It immediately ended the war by collapsing Confederate morale
- B
It compelled Britain and France to enter the war as Union allies
- Ccheck_circle
It permitted enlistment of African American troops and discouraged European recognition of the Confederacy
- D
It triggered Maryland's and Delaware's secession from the Union
Explanation
The proclamation authorized USCT enlistments (eventually ~180,000 soldiers) and made the war an antislavery struggle, deterring British/French recognition. It did not end the war, cause border-state secession, or bring foreign allies.