What was the main outcome of the Emancipation Proclamation?

The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, primarily aimed to free enslaved people in the Confederate states. This landmark executive order declared that all slaves in the states that were in rebellion against the Union would be set free. Although it did not immediately free all enslaved individuals, it fundamentally changed the character of the Civil War by making the fight against slavery a central goal of the Union war effort.

The Proclamation also allowed for the enlistment of African American soldiers into the Union Army, which further contributed to the goal of ending slavery. Ultimately, this document was a crucial step toward the eventual abolition of slavery in the United States, reinforced by the later passage of the Thirteenth Amendment.

Other options reflect significant issues in U.S. history but are not connected to the Emancipation Proclamation. The establishment of equal rights for women occurred later, particularly during the women's suffrage movement. Ending segregation in schools resulted from the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954, while the granting of citizenship to Native Americans was influenced by various legal milestones throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, none of which pertain to the Proclamation's goals or outcomes.