Lincoln and Freedom: Slavery, Emancipation, and the Thirteenth Amendment - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0809327643 ISBN 13: 9780809327645

Publisher: Southern Illinois University Press, 2007

Synopsis

Lincoln’s reelection in 1864 was a pivotal moment in the history of the United States. The Emancipation Proclamation had officially gone into effect on January 1, 1863, and the proposed Thirteenth Amendment had become a campaign issue. Lincoln and Freedom: Slavery, Emancipation, and the Thirteenth Amendment captures these historic times, profiling the individuals, events, and enactments that led to slavery’s abolition. Fifteen leading Lincoln scholars contribute to this collection, covering slavery from its roots in 1619 Jamestown, through the adoption of the Constitution, to Abraham Lincoln’s presidency.

             This comprehensive volume, edited by Harold Holzer and Sara Vaughn Gabbard, presents Abraham Lincoln’s response to the issue of slavery as politician, president, writer, orator, and commander-in-chief. Topics include the history of slavery in North America, the Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision, the evolution of Lincoln’s view of presidential powers, the influence of religion on Lincoln, and the effects of the Emancipation Proclamation.

             This collection effectively explores slavery as a Constitutional issue, both from the viewpoint of the original intent of the nation’s founders as they failed to deal with slavery, and as a study of the Constitutional authority of the commander-in-chief as Lincoln interpreted it. Addressed are the timing of Lincoln’s decision for emancipation and its effect on the public, the military, and the slaves themselves.

             Other topics covered include the role of the U.S. Colored Troops, the election campaign of 1864, and the legislative debate over the Thirteenth Amendment. The volume concludes with a heavily illustrated essay on the role that iconography played in forming and informing public opinion about emancipation and the amendments that officially granted freedom and civil rights to African Americans.

             Lincoln and Freedom provides a comprehensive political history of slavery in America and offers a rare look at how Lincoln’s views, statements, and actions played a vital role in the story of emancipation.

About this title

About the Author:

Harold Holzer is cochairman of the U.S. Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and senior vice president for external affairs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He is the author, coauthor or editor of more than twenty previous books, and his scholarship has garnered many awards. Visit www.haroldholzer.com for more information.

Sara Vaughn Gabbard is the editor of Lincoln Lore, The Lincoln Museum’s quarterly publication, and vice president and director of development at The Lincoln Museum.  

Review:

“Lincoln and Freedom provides abundant useful information, much of it new, on Abraham Lincoln, slavery, emancipation and the Thirteenth Amendment.  Moreover, the authors deal with their subjects through a variety of approaches and interpretive lenses, thereby furnishing readers with several perspectives on these important subjects.”―Richard W. Etulain, author of Beyondthe Missouri: The Story of the American West

About this edition

• Publisher: Southern Illinois University Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0809327643
• ISBN 13: 9780809327645
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 280
• Editor: Holzer Harold, Gabbard Sara Vaughn