The slaves in Beaufort and Port Royal were not affected by the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation because these areas had already come under Union control early in the Civil War. This meant that the Proclamation, which only applied to Confederate-held territories, did not have any immediate impact on the slaves in these areas. Additionally, the Union Army in Beaufort and Port Royal had already begun implementing policies to provide freedom and protection to the local black population before the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.
