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     A Documentary History of the American Civil War Era is the first comprehensive collection of public policy actions, political speeches, and judicial decisions related to the American Civil War. This three-volume set gives scholars and students easy access to the full texts of both the most important, fundamental documents as well as hard-to-find, rarely published primary sources on this critical period in U.S. history.
Volume 2 in the series, Political Arguments, presents the words of politicians, political party platforms, and administrative speeches. It is divided into two sections. The first, Voices of the Politicians and Political Parties, comprises the platforms of the major (and some minor) parties from1856 to 1876. Also included are such pieces as Robert E. Lee’s letter of resignation from the U.S. Army, a few key speeches by that rising politician from Illinois, Abraham Lincoln, and a letter on the “American Question” written by a European observer, Karl Marx. Other items include examples of the 1860–1861 state ordinances of secession and addresses on emancipation and Reconstruction by Jefferson Davis and by the Republican leader in the House of Representatives, Thaddeus Stevens. 
     Section two, Voices of the Administrations, contains records from the presidencies of James Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, and Rutherford B. Hayes as well as a message from Confederate President Jefferson Davis telling his congress that the Southern cause was “just and holy.” Classic documents such as Lincoln’s announcement of forthcoming emancipation and the Emancipation Proclamation are here, as are lesser-known but important documents such as Francis Lieber’s 1863 revised law code for war, General Order 100, and Attorney General James Speed’s 1865 opinion supporting the Johnson administration’s decision to try the Lincoln murder conspirators by special military commission and not in the civilian courts.
     Each of the selections in Political Arguments is preceded by editor Thomas Mackey’s introductory headnotes that explain the document’s historical significance and trace its lasting impact. These commentaries provide insight into not just law and public policy but also the broad sweep of issues important to Civil War– era Americans.
     A Documentary History of the American Civil War Era is an essential acquisition for academic and public libraries in addition to being a valuable resource for courses on the War and Reconstruction, legal history, political history, and nineteenth- century American history.


Table of Contents

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  1. Cover
  2. p. 1
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  1. Title Page, Copyright
  2. pp. 2-7
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  1. Contents
  2. pp. vii-x
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  1. Acknowledgments
  2. pp. xi-xii
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  1. Introduction: A Documentary History of the American Civil War Era
  2. pp. xiii-xxii
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  1. Voices of the Politicians and Political Parties
  1. Introduction
  2. pp. 3-4
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  1. 1856 Democratic Party Platform
  2. pp. 5-10
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  1. 1856 Republican Party Platform
  2. pp. 11-14
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  1. 1856 American (Know-Nothing) Party Platform
  2. pp. 15-18
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  1. Lincoln, House Divided Speech, June 16, 1858
  2. pp. 19-26
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  1. Lincoln, Speech Fragment, 1859
  2. pp. 27-28
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  1. Lincoln, Cooper Union Speech, February 27, 1860
  2. pp. 29-44
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  1. Fredrick Douglass on Constitution and Slavery, March 26, 1860
  2. pp. 45-64
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  1. 1860 Democratic Party Platform (Douglas Faction)
  2. pp. 65-66
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  1. 1860 Democratic Party Platform (Breckinridge Faction)
  2. pp. 67-68
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  1. 1860 Constitutional Union Party Platform
  2. pp. 69-70
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  1. 1860 Republican Party Platform
  2. pp. 71-74
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  1. South Carolina Ordinance of Secession, December 20, 1860
  2. pp. 75-78
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  1. Alabama Ordinance of Secession, January 11, 1861
  2. pp. 79-80
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  1. Georgia Ordinance of Secession, January 19, 1861
  2. pp. 81-82
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  1. Jefferson Davis Farewell Speech, U.S. Senate, January 21, 1861
  2. pp. 83-88
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  1. Inauguration Speech, Jefferson Davis, February 18, 1861
  2. pp. 89-92
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  1. Robert E. Lee’s Resignation from the U.S. Army, April 20, 1861
  2. pp. 93-94
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  1. General Benjamin Butler, “Contrabands,” July 30, 1861
  2. pp. 95-100
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  1. General John C. Fremont’s Martial Law/Emancipation Policy, August 30, 1861
  2. pp. 101-106
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  1. Karl Marx on the Civil War, October 11, 1861
  2. pp. 107-116
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  1. Thaddeus Stevens, Emancipation, January 22, 1862.
  2. pp. 117-128
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  1. 1864 Democratic Party Platform
  2. pp. 129-132
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  1. 1864 Republican (National Union) Party Platform
  2. pp. 133-136
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  1. Thaddeus Stevens, Lancaster Speech, September 6, 1865
  2. pp. 137-148
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  1. Thaddeus Stevens on Reconstruction, December 18, 1865
  2. pp. 149-158
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  1. 1868 Democratic Party Platform
  2. pp. 159-162
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  1. 1868 Republican Party Platform
  2. pp. 163-166
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  1. 1872 Democratic Party Platform
  2. pp. 167-168
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  1. 1872 Republican Party Platform
  2. pp. 169-172
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  1. 1872 Liberal Republican Party Platform
  2. pp. 173-176
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  1. 1876 Democratic Party Platform
  2. pp. 177-182
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  1. 1876 Republican Party Platform
  2. pp. 183-188
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  1. Voices of the Administrations
  1. Introduction
  2. pp. 191-192
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  1. Buchanan Inaugural, March 4, 1857
  2. pp. 193-200
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  1. Attorney General Jeremiah Black on secession, November 20, 1860
  2. pp. 201-208
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  1. President James Buchanan, State of the Union, December 3, 1860
  2. pp. 209-236
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  1. First Inaugural, Abraham Lincoln, March 4, 1861
  2. pp. 237-246
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  1. Lincoln’s special message to Congress, July 4, 1861, “People’s contest”
  2. pp. 247-260
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  1. Lincoln to Greeley, August 22, 1862, “I would save the Union”
  2. pp. 261-262
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  1. President Lincoln’s December 1862 Message to Congress
  2. pp. 263-280
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  1. General Order 100, Lieber Code, April 23, 1863
  2. pp. 281-300
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  1. Lincoln 10% Plan, December 8, 1863
  2. pp. 301-306
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  1. Wade/Davis Plan, July 2, 1864, and President Lincoln’s Veto, July 8, 1864
  2. pp. 307-314
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  1. Wade/Davis Manifesto, August 5, 1864
  2. pp. 315-324
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  1. Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, September 22, 1862
  2. pp. 325-328
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  1. Emancipation Proclamation, January 1, 1863
  2. pp. 329-332
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  1. Grant to Lincoln, African American troops, August 23, 1863
  2. pp. 333-334
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  1. Lincoln to Sherman, soldier vote, September 19, 1864
  2. pp. 335-336
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  1. Lincoln’s Second Inaugural, March 4, 1865
  2. pp. 337-340
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  1. Message to Congress, April 29, 1861, “Our cause is just and holy"
  2. pp. 341-356
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  1. Proclamation, Amnesty/Pardon and N.C. Government, May 29, 1865
  2. pp. 357-362
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  1. Attorney General Speed opinion, Lincoln murder trial, April 28, 1865, and July 1865 clarification
  2. pp. 363-378
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  1. Grant, Reconstruction, August 16, 1864
  2. pp. 379-380
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  1. Grant, Southern tour report, December 18, 1865
  2. pp. 381-384
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  1. Grant, First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1869
  2. pp. 385-388
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  1. Grant, Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1873
  2. pp. 389-392
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  1. Hayes, Inaugural Address, March 5, 1877
  2. pp. 393-400
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  1. Chronology
  2. pp. 401-406
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  1. Selected Readings
  2. pp. 407-414
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  1. Index
  2. pp. 415-418
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