I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free; and that the Executive government of the United States, including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons.
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation
Lincoln, Abraham. "Final Emancipation Proclamation," or "Proclamation 95." 22 Sept. 1862.
Current Citation
Lincoln, Abraham. "Final Emancipation Proclamation, January 1, 1863." Abraham Lincoln: Speeches and Writings 1859-1865, edited by Don E. Fehrenbacher. Library of America, 1989.