In 1863, which proclamation did Lincoln issue to free the slaves of the Confederacy?

The Emancipation Proclamation is the significant document that President Abraham Lincoln issued in 1863 with the purpose of freeing the slaves in the Confederate states. This proclamation marked a pivotal moment in the Civil War, as it not only aimed to undermine the Confederacy by freeing their enslaved workforce but also redefined the war's purpose to include the fight against slavery. By doing this, Lincoln sought to encourage enslaved individuals to escape or rebel, thereby weakening the Confederacy's capacity to sustain the war.

In contrast, the Gettysburg Address is a famous speech Lincoln delivered in 1863 to honor the fallen soldiers of the Battle of Gettysburg and reiterate the principles of democracy. The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, providing equal protection under the law, but was not directly related to the immediate action of freeing slaves during the Civil War. The Missouri Compromise, enacted in 1820, was a legislative decision aimed at balancing the power between slave states and free states, but it is unrelated to Lincoln's proclamations during his presidency. Thus, the Emancipation Proclamation is the correct answer because it directly addresses the issue of slavery in the