"Now, therefore I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, by virtue of the
power in me vested as Commander-in-Chief, of the Army and Navy of the United States
in time of actual armed rebellion against the authority and government of the United
States, and as a fit and necessary war measure for suppressing said rebellion, do, on this
first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three,
and in accordance with my purpose so to do publicly proclaimed for the full period of
one hundred days, from the day first above mentioned, order and designate as the
States and parts of States wherein the people thereof respectively, are this day in
rebellion against the United States...
And by virtue of the power, and for the purpose aforesaid, I do order and declare that all
persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and
henceforward shall be free; and that the Executive government of the United States,
including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the
freedom of said persons."-From the Emancipation Proclamation, 1863
Why did this document have little impact on slaves when it was issued? (5 points)
O It only applied to areas under Union control, and slaves there had already been freed.
O The military that was supposed to enforce it was busy fighting against Confederate forces.
It was designed to go into effect only after the end of the war or a considerable waiting period.
O The areas it applied to were still under control of the Confederates, who ignored it.
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