Which document freed the slaves?

• A. Gettysburg Address
• B. Declaration of Independence
• C. Emancipation Proclamation
• D. Bill of Rights

Answer: (C)

This question is about which document declared enslaved people to be free. The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, declared that enslaved people in Confederate-held areas were to be free. It marked a turning point by making ending slavery one of the war’s main goals and by allowing Black soldiers to serve in the Union Army, which helped the Northern cause.

The other documents have different purposes. The Gettysburg Address honors soldiers and talks about preserving the Union. The Declaration of Independence explains why the colonies wanted independence and asserts that all people have rights, but it doesn’t free slaves. The Bill of Rights lists future protections for individual freedoms, not emancipation.

It’s also good to note that the proclamation didn’t immediately free every enslaved person everywhere; some enslaved people in border areas or Union-controlled regions were not affected until later, with the 13th Amendment. Still, it is the document most closely associated with declaring enslaved people free.