What did the Emancipation Proclamation accomplish?

The Emancipation Proclamation is a pivotal document in American history that primarily focused on the issue of slavery during the Civil War. Issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, it declared that all enslaved people in Confederate-held territory were to be set free. This was a strategic move aimed at undermining the Confederacy's economy and war efforts while also adding a moral imperative to the Union's cause.

Though the Proclamation did not immediately free all enslaved individuals, as it only applied to areas under Confederate control, it was significant in transforming the character of the war and laying the groundwork for future legislation, such as the Thirteenth Amendment, which ultimately abolished slavery throughout the United States.

The other choices do not relate to the Emancipation Proclamation. The right to vote for women was achieved later with the Nineteenth Amendment. World War I began much later, in 1914, not connected to the effects of the Civil War or the Proclamation. Lastly, the establishment of Thanksgiving as a national holiday occurred thanks to a proclamation by Abraham Lincoln in 1863, but this event is separate from the Emancipation Proclamation's focus on abolishing slavery.