What was the Emancipation Proclamation, and when was it issued?

• A. A constitutional amendment abolishing slavery, ratified in 1865.
• B. A treaty ending the Civil War, signed in 1865.
• C. An executive order freeing slaves in Confederate-held areas, issued January 1, 1863.
• D. A plan to deport enslaved people to Africa, proposed in 1862.

Answer: (C)