How did the Emancipation Proclamation and Grant's appointment as general in chief affect the course of the war?

It affected it a lot.

Lincoln was hesitant to pass the Proclamation because of the border states and how important it was to the union to keep them. Any wrong move could have sent them down to the "confederate states". Grant was a much better general in my opinion than the last one, who was too scared to enter battle, always doubting himself. (I apologize, I forget his name). But nevertheless, Grant would send in as many men as it took to get the job done, he didn't care how many died, and this is how we really started making progress in the south, and hurting the confederacy. Especially what they did to South Carolina. Since they were the first state to secede