I Freed Myself - African American Self-Emancipation in the Civil War Era (Hardcover)

For a century and a half, Abraham Lincoln's signing of the Emancipation Proclamation has been the dominant narrative of African American freedom in the Civil War era. However, David Williams suggests that this portrayal marginalizes the role that African American slaves played in freeing themselves. At the Civil War's outset, Lincoln made clear his intent was to save the Union rather than free slaves - despite his personal distaste for slavery, he claimed no authority to interfere with the institution. By the second year of the war, though, when the Union army was in desperate need of black support, former slaves who escaped to Union lines struck a bargain: they would fight for the Union only if they were granted their freedom. Williams importantly demonstrates that freedom was not simply the absence of slavery but rather a dynamic process enacted by self-emancipated African American refugees, which compelled Lincoln to modify his war aims and place black freedom at the center of his wartime policies.

General

Imprint:	Cambridge UniversityPress
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Release date:	April 2014
First published:	April 2014
Authors:	David Williams
Dimensions:	231 x 155 x 23mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Hardcover
Pages:	278
ISBN-13:	978-1-107-01649-1
Categories:	Books > Humanities > History > World history > 1750 to 1900 Books > Humanities > History > American history > 1800 to 1900 Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Military history Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Ethnic studies > Black studies Books > Social sciences > Warfare & defence > War & defence operations > Civil war Books > History > American history > 1800 to 1900 Books > History > History of specific subjects > Military history Books > History > World history > 1750 to 1900 Promotions
LSN:	1-107-01649-5
Barcode:	9781107016491

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