What did the Emancipation Proclamation achieve?

The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, specifically declared the freedom of enslaved individuals in Confederate territories, which were states that had seceded from the Union. This was a strategic war measure aimed at weakening the Confederacy by undermining its labor force, as enslaved people were integral to the Southern economy.

While it did not immediately end slavery in the border states that remained loyal to the Union or in areas of the South that had already come under Union control, its primary focus was to liberate those held in bondage in the rebellious states. This move also allowed African Americans to join the Union military, bolstering its numbers during the Civil War.

The other options do not accurately reflect the scope or intent of the Proclamation. The Proclamation did not abolish slavery in all states, nor did it apply only to Northern states or allow Southern states to retain their slave laws; rather, its reach was limited to the Confederate states engaged in rebellion at that time. Thus, declaring freedom for enslaved persons in Confederate territories is the key achievement highlighted by the Emancipation Proclamation.