The best-selling companion reader to the Give Me Liberty! family of books. A rich collection of documentary voices addressing a central theme in American history―freedom. The documents in this collection show that although in some ways universal; the idea of freedom has never been a fixed; timeless concept with a single; unchanging definition. In fact; the history of the United States is in part a story of debates and struggles over freedom. Crises like the American Revolution; the Civil War; and the Cold War have permanently transformed the meaning of freedom. So too have demands by various groups of Americans for greater freedom. The primary-source selections in this book include presidential proclamations and letters by runaway slaves; famous court cases and obscure manifestos; prevailing ideas and dissenting ones. The voices range from Las Casas and Pontiac through Jefferson; Thoreau; Douglass; and Lincoln to Stanton; Sanger; Garvey; Luce; Byrd; and Obama. The Fourth Edition of Voices of Freedom includes new documents that better reflect the religious aspects of American history. It remains a comprehensive collection that offers a diverse gathering of authors and a wide breadth of opinion. Fully compiled and edited by Eric Foner; the collection includes headnotes and critical questions for each document. The book is organized as a companion to the textbook Give Me Liberty! An American History; Fourth Edition; by Eric Foner; and it can also be used with other texts in the American history survey and other courses.
#44460 in Books imusti 2011-09-26Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.30 x 1.10 x 5.50l; .94 #File Name: 039334066X448 pagesW. W. Norton Company
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great Storytelling with NuanceBy Renney SennAny admirer of Lincoln and his contribution to the American story will be highly impressed and entertained by Mr. Foner's "Fiery Trial." Most books I have read on the subject tend to make the entire issue of slavery and the Civil War far more "black and white" then the story Mr. Foner so skillfully reveals. The almost limitless and constantly mutating variations between abolitionist and slaveholding racist are precisely depicted; making the story so vividly real and instructive.Equally compelling is the author's treatment of Lincoln as he grappled with the profound racial-political complexities that so gradually transformed his thinking; issues that were seemingly irreconcilable at the time and that remain profoundly vexing. In so doing; the author succeeds in achieving what the best historical storytelling can; making a granite-like American icon human despite his greatness.I would recommend this as a highly readable and eminently enlightening record of one of the most challenging periods in our history. It is especially relevant amidst the crippling and perplexing divisions we see in our country at present.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Must read civil rights storyBy Howie SmithI have read several biographies of Abraham Lincoln; this book is a great history of how his thinking about black Americans evolved over time. Abraham Lincoln was a politician; so it is extremely interesting to see how someone in the public as he was during much of this change; was able to lead the country to abolish slavery and to extend the rights of life; liberty; and the pursuit of happiness to the black Americans. This book is a must read for those interested both in Lincoln and in the torturous path that this country is taking to extend the ideas in the Declaration of Independence to all its citizens.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great work by an expert.By Bernard A. WeisbergerA long historical debate about Lincoln's role in emancipation pits two opposing views against each other. One is the traditional and widely accepted notion of him as the Great Emancipator; the other notes his early southern Illinois racism; gradualist approach to emancipation but with colonization of all the freed slaves outside the US; and his often quoted statement that if he could win the Civil War without freeing the slaves he would do so; and was pushed into it by events on the ground and especially the actions of the slaves themselves in fleeing the plantations the moment they could; making the restoration of the institution a practical impossibility. Foner; the best current scholar on the subject; tells a detailed story that is far more nuanced and reasonable--of Lincoln's basic opposition to slavery from youth onward; and his gradual abandonment of colonization; acceptance of the reality of abolition; and movement towards incorporating black Americans into the promises of the Declaration of Independence. A superb work that clears the air.
