Though this edict, issued by US President Abraham Lincoln while the country was embroiled in a bloody civil war, was largely a symbolic gesture and did not actually end slavery, it was a major step on the road to abolition and sent a clear message about the Union’s stance on the matter. The proclamation—which was almost entirely the work of Lincoln himself—declared free all slaves living in areas still engaged in revolt against the Union. What officially ended slavery in the US? Discuss