Emancipation Proclamation
Emancipation Proclamation
Emancipation Proclamation, January 1, 1863; Presidential Proclamations, 1791-1991; Record Group 11; General Records of the United States Government; National Archives.
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, announcing, "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious areas "are, and henceforward shall be free."
The original Emancipation Proclamation will be on view February 12 through 16, 2009 at the National Archives Building in Washington DC.
Read more at Our Documents...
View the complete Emancipation Proclamation...
PDF files require the free Adobe Reader.
More information on Adobe Acrobat PDF files is available on our Accessibility page.

Visit the National Archives Experience