I freed myself : African American self-emancipation in the Civil War era

Author/Creator:

Williams, David, 1959- author

Publication/Creation:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2014

Format:

Book

More Details

Additional/Related Title Information

Full Title:

I freed myself : African American self-emancipation in the Civil War era / David Williams, Valdosta State University, Georgia

Subjects/Genre

Genre:

Electronic books

Subjects:

Lincoln, Abraham,1809-1865--Views on slavery
Enslaved persons--Emancipation--United States
African American soldiers--History--19th century
African Americans--History--19th century
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--African Americans
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Participation, African American

Description/Summary

Table of Contents:

Machine generated contents note: Introduction: following the footsteps of slaves; 1. 'Yes, we all shall be free': pressing the nation toward freedom; 2. 'Shedding the first blood': forcing a war for freedom; 3. 'Ready to die for liberty': expanding the boundaries of freedom; 4. 'Full equality before the law': claiming the rights of freedom; 5. 'All we ask is justice': continuing struggles for freedom.

Summary:

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.

Language:

English

Physical Type/Description:

1 online resource (x, 266 pages) : digital, PDF file(s)

General Note:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Local Note:

Available to current Emory faculty, students and staff.

Additional Identifiers

Catalog ID (MMSID):

9937689205502486

ISBN:

9781139061148