PDF Lincoln and Freedom: Slavery; Emancipation; and the Thirteenth Amendment by From Southern Illinois University Press in History

Review

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Some excellent history about the period portrayed in the "Lincoln" movieBy Paul D WolfowitzTwo discrepancies between this book and the movie:1) The source for the quote attributed to Thaddeus Stevens; that the Thirteenth Amendment "was passed by corruption; aided and abetted by the purest man in the America" was reported in 1898 by James Scovel; long-time opponent of the Camden and Amboy railroad monopoly; which was the beneficiary of the alleged deal. In the essay "The Thirteenth Amendment Enacted" by Michael Vorenberg in this volume; Vorenberg writes "When considered next to Nicolay's record of the president's reaction to the Camden and Amboy proposition; Stevens' account of Lincoln's involvement; reported secondhand more than forty years after the fact; seems dubious;" although he also notes that such a deal or implied deal might have been done by pro-Amendment members of Congress without Lincoln's approval or even knowledge.2) In another essay in this volume; "That Which Congress So Nobly Began;" Ron J. Keller writes that the success of the amendment depended critically on "the number of Democrats who disregarded partisanship to extend freedom to all;" and he quotes historians James Randall and Richard Current saying "the slaveholder [James] Rollins rather than the self-proclaimed egalitarian [Thaddeus] Stevens; was the real spokesman for Lincoln in the House."These are not trivial discrepancies; but it's still a great movie and captures some of Lincoln's greatness; which is hard to do in a play of a couple of hours.4 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Must read.By JohnathontiGreat new interpretations on slavery; emancipation; and the pivotal role they played in nineteenth century history. A very insightful; enlightening; and interesting read.