What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

The Emancipation Proclamation was a significant wartime executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. Its primary purpose was to declare that all enslaved people in the Confederate states were to be set free. This action was part of Lincoln's strategy to weaken the Confederacy during the Civil War by undermining its labor force, as enslaved individuals were essential to the Southern economy. While it did not immediately free all enslaved individuals in the United States, it was a crucial step towards the eventual abolition of slavery, leading to the 13th Amendment, which formally abolished slavery across the entire country.

The other options relate to important elements of American history, but they do not pertain to the Emancipation Proclamation itself. For instance, giving women the right to vote occurred much later with the 19th Amendment and generally relates to gender equality rather than slavery. The Civil War formally ended with the surrender of the Confederate troops in 1865, which is after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. The Bill of Rights, established in 1791, outlines individual rights and freedoms but is not connected to the emancipation of enslaved people in the Civil War context.