The Proclamation Issued
Emancipation Proclamation (final version)
Washington: Government Printing Office,
January 1, 1863
Page 2
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President Lincoln issued the first printing of
the preliminary version of the Emancipation Proclamation as an
order from the commander-in-chief to the armed forces. Because
the president had direct control over the army, it made it unnecessary
to go through Congress to activate the Proclamation. The preliminary
version differs from this final version of January 1, 1863, by
placing a greater emphasis on the preservation of the Union as
a motivating force for the Proclamation.
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