What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, specifically targeted the Confederate states in rebellion against the Union during the Civil War. The primary purpose of the proclamation was to declare the freedom of all enslaved people in those states. By freeing the slaves in the Confederate states, the Proclamation aimed to weaken the Confederate war effort and also to align the moral cause of the Union with the fight against slavery, thereby transforming the Civil War into a struggle for liberation.

This significant action symbolized a shift in the Union's war aims, emphasizing the principles of freedom and human rights while adding a moral imperative to the military conflict. The proclamation did not free slaves in the border states or in areas already under Union control, which clarifies its targeted approach and significance within the context of the Civil War.

The other options reflect unrelated aspects of governance or societal issues that the Emancipation Proclamation did not address. Creating new states, establishing public education, and limiting voting rights are not connected to the goals or outcomes of the Emancipation Proclamation, which was fundamentally focused on the status and rights of enslaved individuals in specific territories during a pivotal moment in American history.