Of all the documents in American history, Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation ranks among the most important. It began the process of freeing four million Americans from slavery and led to constitutional amendments that ensure equal protections for all Americans. Drawing on primary sources, this book describes the economic and political conditions and thinking that led to the Emancipation Proclamation; the profound impact it had on the outcome of the Civil War and the period immediately following; and ways the document, through the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments, continues to affect society today. This book also includes compelling images and little-known facts of interest.