On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Intended to free the slaves in States and political entities in rebellion against the United States, the Emancipation Proclamation applied only to: Arkansas; Texas; Louisiana, except certain Parishes; Mississippi; Alabama; Florida; Georgia; South Carolina; North Carolina; and Virginia, except certain counties. Predating the Reconstruction Amendments, the Emancipation Proclamation did not apply to Missouri, Maryland, Kentucky, and Delaware. Although these states condoned slavery, they were not then in rebellion against the United States. Likewise, it did not apply to Tennessee. Read more