Emancipation Proclamation: Lincoln and the Dawn of Liberty by Tonya Bolden (review)

Among the most contentious issues addressed in American History classes are Lincoln’s attitudes toward the nation’s African Americans, free and enslaved, and whether the vaunted Emancipation Proclamation actually freed anybody. Bolden tackles these questions in a richly illustrated overview of the lead-up to the Proclamation, organizing and reiterating information already familiar to many middle-schoolers, while introducing material that will probably be eye-opening to students who have taken their textbook’s version of history at face value. Divided into three sections, the books examines the growing body of laws and policies that set the stage for Secession; competing moral arguments and wartime exigencies that impelled and restrained Lincoln from issuing an unconditional declaration of freedom for all slaves; and the final revision of the startlingly amended Proclamation and its ultimate reception within various African-American and Abolitionist communities. The first and third chapters are written largely from the point of view of African Americans awaiting action from the White House, and Bolden imparts the tension that must have been palpable among those whose futures hung in the political balance. The middle chapter, which covers the fits and starts of the process, allows readers to track the political pressures on Lincoln and form their own nuanced judgment on his performance. A wealth of period illustrations are provided, including a remarkable set of juxtaposed political cartoons by Rebel and Union supporters that depict Lincoln writing the Proclamation, as well as documents with sections of illuminating commentary. An annotated timeline, glossary, source notes, selected bibliography, and index are appended.