In April 1865, as the Civil War came to a close, Abraham Lincoln
announced his support for voting rights for at least some of the
newly freed enslaved people. Esteemed historian Paul Escott takes
this milestone as an opportunity to explore popular sentiment in
the North on this issue and, at the same time, to examine the
vigorous efforts of Black leaders, in both North and South, to
organize, demand, and work for their equal rights as citizens.As
Escott reveals, there was in the spring of 1865 substantial and
surprisingly general support for Black suffrage, most notably
through the Republican Party, which had succeeded in linking the
suffrage issue to the securing of the Union victory. This would be
met with opposition, however, from Lincoln's successor, Andrew
Johnson, and, just as important, from a Democratic Party-including
Northern Democrats-that had failed during the course of the war to
shed its racism. The momentum for Black suffrage would be further
threatened by conflicts within the Republican Party over the issue.
Based on extensive research into Republican and Democratic
newspapers, magazines, speeches, and addresses, Escott's latest
book illuminates the vigorous national debates in the pivotal year
of 1865 over extending the franchise to all previously enslaved
men-crucial debates that have not yet been examined in
full-revealing both the nature and significance of growing support
for Black suffrage and the depth of white racism that was its
greatest obstacle.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
