The Bedford Series in History & Culture Available 1/10  The Emancipation Proclamation First Edition ©  2010 Michael Vorenberg Overview Table of Contents About the Author(s) Testimonials Exam & Desk Copies Within months of Lincoln’s 1860 election, the Confederate states seceded and the Civil War began. In his inaugural address Lincoln vowed not to interfere with slavery and even endorsed a constitutional amendment to protect it. Yet two years later Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in the rebellious states, transforming the goals of the war, and setting the stage for national emancipation. In this volume Michael Vorenberg reveals the complexity of the process by which African-Americans gained freedom and explores the struggle over its meaning. The introduction summarizes the history and national debate over slavery from the country’s founding through the Civil War and beyond, and more than 40 documents and images give voice to the range of actors who participated in this vital drama — Lincoln and Douglass, slaves and slaveholders, black and white men and women working for abolition, and northern and southern editorialists. In addition, essays by contemporary historians Ira Berlin and James McPherson argue the question of who freed the slaves. Document headnotes, a chronology, questions for consideration, and a selected bibliography encourage student learning.   "This wonderful collection of primary material is extremely useful for broadening our understanding of the significance of slavery and emancipation in interpreting the politics of the Civil War period. I will surely use this book for my Civil War and slavery courses." — James Oliver Horton, George Washington University   The Emancipation Proclamation A Brief History with Documents Paper Text, 208pgs. ISBN: 0-312-43581-9 ISBN-13: 978-0-312-43581-3 Estimated U.S. Price: $14.95 > More Versions