The Proclamation Issued

Emancipation Proclamation (final version)
Washington: Government Printing Office,
January 1, 1863
Page 2
Rare Book & Special Collections Division

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.