 | Emancipating Lincoln: The Proclamation in Text, Context, and Memory Subjects: United States. President (1861–1865 : Lincoln). Emancipation Proclamation; Lincoln Abraham 1809–1865 -- Views on slavery; United States -- Politics and government -- 1861–1865; Slaves -- Emancipation -- United States; Holzer, who won a prize for his analysis of Lincoln's 1860 speech at Cooper Union, now examines the Emancipation Proclamation. The book, based on a series of lectures at Harvard in 2010, outlines Lincoln's approach to drafting the document and creating a climate for its acceptance; reactions to the text, especially the disappointment on the part of some that it lacked "grandeur or Book of Exodus fervor"; and changing depictions of it and of Lincoln, first as the Great Emancipator, later "generic hero of national unity," or simply a great leader. Tracing the history of the iconography of Lincoln and the Proclamation, Holzer deftly leads readers through American racial politics from the Civil War to the election of President Obama. Readers lacking Holzer's expertise could use more particulars on Lincoln's juggling of possible political ruin, the abolition of slavery, and the pursuit of Union victory. Images of the Proclamation and political cartoons shed light on the text and its reception in 1863. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. Harold Holzer is one of the leading authorities on Abraham Lincoln and the political culture of the Civil War era. He is a prolific writer and lecturer. He has written, co-written and edited over 30 books including Abraham Lincoln, The Writer (2000), which was named to the Children's Literature Choice List and the Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year, and Lincoln at Cooper Union: The Speech That Made Abraham Lincoln President (2004), which won a 2005 Lincoln Prize. He has also written over 425 popular magazine and scholarly journal articles and numerous pamphlets and monographs. He has won numerous awards including the Barondess Award of the Civil War Round Table of New York five times; the Award of Achievement from the Lincoln Group of New York three times; a 1988 George Washington Medal; the 2000 Newman Book Award; and the 2008 National Humanities Medal. He is the Senior Vice President for External Affairs at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. (Bowker Author Biography) |
