Which significant document did Abraham Lincoln issue during the Civil War?

Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War, making it a critical document in American history. The Proclamation was announced on January 1, 1863, and declared that all enslaved people in Confederate-held territory were to be set free. This action was significant for several reasons: it aimed to weaken the Confederacy, provided a moral cause to the war, and it allowed for the enlistment of African American soldiers into the Union Army, thereby increasing the Union's manpower.

In contrast, the Declaration of Independence established the foundation for American liberty and separation from Britain, the Bill of Rights outlines individual rights guaranteed to Americans, and the Constitution serves as the fundamental framework for the U.S. government. While these documents are essential to American history, they were not issued by Lincoln and do not pertain specifically to the Civil War's context of emancipation and civil rights.