8 facts you should know on the anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation

The Emancipation Proclamation is a defining moment in American history. Photo via Maine.edu, The Daily Dot.

Jan. 1, 2016, marks the 153th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, which led to the freedom of the 3 million black slaves.

The Emancipation Proclamation, the final version of which Lincoln issued on Jan. 1, 1863, did not free black slaves on its own, but it was a key part of a freedom puzzle that included the grassroots abolitionist movement, the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, and the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, all of which contributed to their emancipation.

Here are eight facts everyone should know about the Emancipation Proclamation and abolitionism.