Lincoln Emancipated.

Lincoln Emancipated

Brian R. Dirck, editor

Northern Illinois University Press

2280 Bethany Rd., DeKalb, IL 60115-2854

9780875803593, $32.00 www.niupress.niu.edu 1-815-753-9905

Edited by Assistant Professor of History and Political Science Brian R. Dirck, Lincoln Emancipated: the President and the Politics of Race is an anthology of seven essays by learned authors examining the basic question: Did President Abraham Lincoln truly deserve to be remembered as the "Great Emancipator"? Though attributed with seeing America through the Civil War, Lincoln's stated top priority was not to end slavery, but rather to preserve the Union. Individual essays examine Lincoln's personal beliefs concerning blacks and whites, insofar as they can be pinned down, the ways in which America has opted to remember Lincoln's legacy, the historical context of Lincoln's views, statements, and actions, and much more. A thoughtful study that seeks to delve behind the propaganda and into the heart of a noble albeit imperfect (and therefore utterly human) President.