The major historical document that called for social reforms and the end of slavery in the United States is the Emancipation Proclamation. Issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, the Proclamation declared the freedom of all enslaved people in Confederate-held territory. It was a pivotal moment in the American Civil War, transforming the conflict's purpose by making the abolition of slavery a central goal of the war effort. Although it did not immediately free all enslaved individuals, it laid the groundwork for the eventual passage of the 13th Amendment, which formally abolished slavery in the United States.