Edited by Harold
Holzer
and Sara Vaughn
Gabbard
In 1865 Americans faced some of the most important issues in
the nation’s history: the final battles of the Civil War, the struggle to pass
the Thirteenth Amendment, the peace process, reconstruction, the role of freed
slaves, the tragedy of Abraham Lincoln's assassination, and the trials of the
conspirators. In this illuminating collection, prominent historians of
nineteenth-century America offer insightful overviews of the individuals,
events, and issues that shaped the future of the United States in 1865.
Following an introduction by renowned Lincoln scholar Harold
Holzer, nine new essays explore the end of the Civil War, Lincoln’s death, and
the start of the tentative peace in 1865. Michael Vorenberg discusses how
Lincoln shepherded through the House of Representatives the resolution sending
the Thirteenth Amendment to the states for ratification, John F. Marszalek and
Michael B. Ballard examine the partnership of Lincoln’s war management and
General Ulysses S. Grant’s crucial last thrusts against Robert E. Lee, and
Richard Striner recounts how Lincoln faced down Confederate emissaries who
proposed immediate armistice if Lincoln were to reverse the Emancipation
Proclamation. Ronald C. White Jr. offers a fresh look at Lincoln’s second
inaugural address, and Richard Wightman Fox provides a vivid narrative of
Lincoln’s dramatic walk through Richmond after the Confederates abandoned their
capital.
Turning to Lincoln’s assassination, Edward Steers Jr.
relates the story of Booth’s organizational efforts that resulted in the events
of that fateful day, and Frank J. Williams explains the conspirators’ trial and
whether they should have faced military or civilian tribunals. Addressing the
issue of black suffrage, Edna Greene Medford focuses on the African American
experience in the final year of the war. Finally, Holzer explains the use of
visual arts to preserve the life and legacy of the martyred president.
Rounding out the volume are a chronology of national and
international events during 1865, a close look at Lincoln’s activities and
writings from January 1 through April 14, and other pertinent materials. This
thoughtful collection provides an engaging evaluation of one of the most
crucial years in America’s evolution.
About the Authors
Harold Holzer is the Roger Hertog Fellow at the New-York
Historical Society and the chairman of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial
Foundation. He is the author, coauthor, editor, or coeditor of forty-seven
books about Abraham Lincoln, most recently Lincoln and the Power of the
Press: The War for Public Opinion, which won the 2015 Lincoln Prize. He has
published six books with SIU Press.
ISBN 978-0809334018, Southern Illinois University Press, ©
2015, Hardcover, 208 pages, Photograph & Illustrations, End Notes at the
end of each essay, Appendices & Index. $32.95. To purchase a
copy of this book click HERE.
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