President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. It declared enslaved people in areas in rebellion against the United States to be free.
It did not apply to border states loyal to the Union, but it made ending slavery a central goal of the war.
Black Soldiers
The proclamation also opened the way for Black men to serve in the Union Army and Navy. About 200,000 served by the war’s end.
The Painting
Francis Bicknell Carpenter’s painting shows Lincoln presenting the proclamation to his cabinet and hangs in the U.S. Capitol.
Explore More
Ohio is full of Civil War history. Visit the Ohio History Connection in Columbus, Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery, the Sherman House Museum in Lancaster, Grant’s birthplace in Point Pleasant, and Morgan’s Raid markers across southern and eastern Ohio. County historical societies often hold letters, photos, and flags from local regiments, so check with yours too.
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