From Antietam to Chancellorsville: September 1862 to May 1863Battle of Fredericksburg |
When did the Emancipation Proclamation take full effect? |
After the White House doors closed at 2 P.M., Lincoln and his Cabinet members met to witness the signing. Lincoln had in his hands the official copy of the full Proclamation, which specifically outlined those areas “in rebellion,” in which the slaves would be freed.

An illustration from Harper’s Weekly celebrates the emancipation of black slaves.