Generations of Americans have debated the meaning of Abraham Lincoln's views on race and slavery. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation and supported a constitutional amendment to outlaw slavery; yet he also harbored grave doubts about the intellectual capacity of African Americans; publicly used the n-word until at least 1862; and favored permanent racial segregation. In this book--the first complete collection of Lincoln's important writings on both race and slavery--readers can explore these contradictions through Lincoln's own words. Acclaimed Harvard scholar and documentary filmmaker Henry Louis Gates; Jr.; presents the full range of Lincoln's views; gathered from his private letters; speeches; official documents; and even race jokes; arranged chronologically from the late 1830s to the 1860s. Complete with definitive texts; rich historical notes; and an original introduction by Henry Louis Gates; Jr.; this book charts the progress of a war within Lincoln himself. We witness his struggles with conflicting aims and ideas--a hatred of slavery and a belief in the political equality of all men; but also anti-black prejudices and a determination to preserve the Union even at the cost of preserving slavery. We also watch the evolution of his racial views; especially in reaction to the heroic fighting of black Union troops. At turns inspiring and disturbing; Lincoln on Race and Slavery is indispensable for understanding what Lincoln's views meant for his generation--and what they mean for our own.
#1031967 in Books Princeton University Press 2008-09-14Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 1.10 x 6.40 x 9.30l; 1.45 #File Name: 0691125732344 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. RUSSIAN ORTHODOXY RESURGENT : FAITH AND POWER IN THE NEW RUSSIABy ALBERTO NAVARROIN THE WEST THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENTS THOUGHTS OF HOW THE SOVIET UNIONAND ITS COMMUNIST SYSTEM FELL DOWN; THE CONSERVATIVES SAID THAT IT WAS THE REAGANPOLICY THAT BROKE DOWN THE SOVIET UNION; WHILE THE LIBERALS SAID IT WASTHE REFORMS MADE BY GORBACHOV; HOWEVER BOTH OF THEM MISSED THE MOSTIMPORTANT THING THE MORAL AUTHORITY OF THE MILLENARIAN RUSSIAN ORTHODOXCHURCH THAT DATES BACK TO 987 WHEN PRINCE VLADIMIR THE GREAT CONVERTEDTHE PEOPLE OF RUS TO THE BYZANTINE BRANCH OF CHRISTIANITY; THIS BOOK FILLSTHAT GAP; IT STARTS WITH THE ROLE PLAYED BY THE PATRIARCH ALEKSY II (A FORMER KGBAGENT) IN DEFEATING THE NEO-STALINIST COUP OF AUGUST 1991.AFTER SEVENTY YEARS OF COMMUNISM; THE MOST CRIMINAL AND PERVERSE TYRANNYTHAT HUMANKIND HAS EVER HAD THAT IMPOSED ATHEISM ; THERE WAS A REBIRTH OFTHE ORTHODOX FAITH;THE AUTHORS EXPLAINED THE WORK DONE BY THE PATRIARCHIN THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE CHURCHES WHICH WERE DESTROYED AND DESECRATEDBY THE COMMUNISTS.THE PATRIARCH TRIED TO CONCILIATE THE OFFICIAL CHURCH WITH THE FREE ORTHODOXCHURCH ABROAD;IN THE END HE WAS SUCCESSFUL ; HE HAS A LOT OF CREDIT IN AVERTTHE BLOODSHED THAT PLAGUED FORMER YUGOSLAVIA.WHEN VLADIMIR PUTIN CAME TO POWER ORTHODOXY BECAME AN INTEGRAL PART OF THENEW RUSSIA; MANTAINING A DUE TOLERANCE AND FREEDOM TO THE OTHER RELIGIONS.AS IT EXPECTED THE WEST STARTED TO ANTAGONIZE THE NEW RUSSIA; THE LIBERALSBECAUSE OF THE MORAL FORCE OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IN DEFENCE OFTHE TRADITIONAL VALUES LIKE ITS OPPOSITION TO HOMOSEXUALITY AND THE NEOCONSERVATIVESBECAUSE THE NEW RUSSIA HAS BEEN A BARRIER TO THEIR IMPERIALISTIC AMBITIONS IN THEMIDDLE EAST AND EASTERN EUROPE AND THEIR UNBRIDLED FREE MARKET POLICIES.THE AUTHORS ARE RIGHT WHEN THEY SAID THAT RUSSIA WILL NEVER BE LIKE THE WESTAND WHY IT HAS TO BE?; TO BE NON-WESTERN DOES NOT MEAN TO BE ANTI-WESTERN INFACT IT COULD BE PRO-WESTERN; BUT THE WEST NEEDS TO MOVE ON AND SHED ALL THISHOLLOW RETHORIC OF DEMOCRACY; HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREE MARKETS AND ACCEPT NOT ONLYRUSSIA BUT THE WHOLE NON-WESTERN WORLD (LATIN AMERICA;ASIA; AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST)AS IT IS.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Penetrate Russian Mentality and Cultural HeritageBy Claude W. JeanneretProfoundly researched but thematically very specialized. A pleasure to read if one wants to get to the roots of the subject. Also very informative for readers who finally want to understand better about the Russian mentality and culture - highly recommended!4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. RussophobiaBy Michelle MichaelThis would have been a really wonderful and inspiring book being that it tells a lot of history of how Patriarch Alexei was able to help turn the Russian people back toward spirituality...unfortunately; this author is coming from a narrow minded Western viewpoint making it sound like it's a bad thing that the Russian nation is flowering in their embrace of Christianity. He harps on how the military is embracing Christianity. Really...is that such a bad thing? I would rather the armed forces of the world be stopping to pray asking God to help them make the right choice before rushing headstrong into a war making all their very critical life-and-death decisions. Has it just ever occurred to people criticizing Russia; that maybe the reason we are NOT yet at war with Russia is BECAUSE Russia is embracing spiritual principles? I also need to point out too....the author seems to indicate that any of us who have a connection to Tsar Nikolai II and the Holy Royal Martyrs....have some hidden anti-Semitic agenda. This is SOOOOOO NOT true. People who honor Tsar Nikolai II as a Saint are NOT ALL anti-Semitic. I know this for a fact. Our Russian Orthodox Parish..the only one in the USA that is named after Tsar Nikolai II; is very welcoming of all kinds of people. When we had our Russian Orthodox Church Autumn festival and the balalaika orchestra performed Hava Nagila; that song got more applause than all the other songs played. We also featured as one of our main musicians a harpist from Israel. Many of our Parish members love to travel to Jerusalem and have great respect for the people there. The authors unfortunately also tried to make it sound like Patriarch Alexei had some dark; hidden agenda....even though he was working his hardest doing everything to bring faith and inspiration back to the people after so many years under Communism. Scholars need to stop judging Russia through an atheistic perspective. Scholars and Western Media are standing outside trying to understand Russia through intellectualism and they will never understand it that way. The authors were very critical that the Russian military has an Orthodox support community and a support community for the religions of Buddhism; Islam; Hinduism etc. but not support communities for the other Christian religions like for example Baptist or Methodist. Russian Christianity is primarily Orthodox; that is why....It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. The author is stating the idea that Russia is purposely excluding other Christian sects in the military. That is like criticizing the American military for not having an official Ancient Egyptian or a Celtic Pagan support community... Yes; there ARE a few people in USA who follow those religions...but if only a tiny number people follow a certain religion and not the masses; obviously the military is not going to invest in having a support group for that group of people. It has nothing to do with any sinister agenda. The Christian religion that is most widely practiced in Russia is Orthodoxy so absolutely of COURSE that is naturally what they are going to emphasize when reaching out to the Christian communities in Russia. I would like to tell the authors that no one is out to get you. You would have had a wonderful book with many stories and inspiration...if only you did not cloud it with your fears and Russophobia.
