January 1st: Emancipation Proclamation Issued
What Happened On January 1st? On the first day of the year in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which forever altered the course of the Civil War and the nation's commitment to the abolition of slavery. The United States was embroiled in a brutal and divisive Civil War from 1861 to 1865, pitting the Northern states (Union) against the Southern states (Confederacy). A central point of contention was the institution of slavery, with the Southern states relying heavily on enslaved labor to support their agrarian economy. As the war intensified, Lincoln's views on slavery evolved. He recognized the…
