The Emancipation Proclamation

Children's Literature - Barbara L. Talcroft

Part of the "Turning Points in U.S. History" series, this narrative of the Emancipation Proclamation in seven chapters is appropriate for able middle readers as well as for older students with more limited skills. With its ample format, neat design, and many reproductions of historic photographs (a pensive Lincoln in 1862 is especially moving), paintings, and engravings, this volume will be visually appealing to young historians. Beginning with a brief history of American slavery and ending with the March on Washington in 1963, Fradin explores the consequences of failure to confront the issue of slavery in 1788 when a new constitution was adopted. As the controversy grew, positions hardened between abolitionists and slaveholders, Lincoln was elected President, and civil war broke out. Lincoln, as Fradin explains, was faced with a dilemma when considering abolition: four slave states were adhering to the Union. How could he emancipate their slaves and still retain their loyalty? Emancipation became part of war strategy, the preliminary proclamation released only after the tide of war was turning in the Union's favor. The final proclamation (1863) resulted in the freeing of Confederate slaves and the self-liberation of many more; it remained for Congress to make freedom universal with the Thirteenth Amendment, though the battle against discrimination goes on. Sidebars offer details about the telegraph, famous abolitionists, and the Underground Railroad—the final sidebar reminds readers that slavery still exists in many parts of the world. Included are maps, a glossary, a timeline, and a bibliography for students.