September 22 in American History

September 22, 1862 — the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation

Days after the Union's narrow victory at Antietam, Lincoln announced that enslaved people in any Confederate state still in rebellion on January 1, 1863 would be declared free. It was a warning and a wartime measure as much as a moral one — the full Proclamation followed exactly 101 days later.

Common Questions

What happened on September 22 in American history?

In 1862: the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. Days after the Union's narrow victory at Antietam, Lincoln announced that enslaved people in any Confederate state still in rebellion on January 1, 1863 would be declared free.

Why is September 22 significant?

Days after the Union's narrow victory at Antietam, Lincoln announced that enslaved people in any Confederate state still in rebellion on January 1, 1863 would be declared free. It was a warning and a wartime measure as much as a moral one — the full Proclamation followed exactly 101 days later.

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