8. The Emancipation Proclamation Freed All Slaves
Many believe the Emancipation Proclamation instantly freed all enslaved people in the United States, but this is a deliberate oversimplification. The 1863 proclamation applied only to the Confederate states in rebellion, not to slave-holding Union territories. This myth was amplified to magnify Lincoln’s legacy as a liberator, while the real end of slavery came with the 13th Amendment. For more details, see the National Archives.
