The overarching significance of the Emancipation Proclamation in the Civil War was its role in redefining the war's purpose. Issued by President Lincoln in 1863, it declared the freedom of enslaved people in the Confederate states, framing the conflict as a fight for both preservation of the Union and abolition of slavery. This transformation galvanized anti-slavery sentiment in the North and allowed for the enlistment of Black soldiers in the Union Army. The proclamation also added moral weight to the Union’s cause, reinforcing the principle of human rights and paving the way for the eventual passage of the 13th Amendment.