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Abraham
Lincoln and His Emancipation Proclamation,
The Strobridge Lith. Co, 1888.
Source: LOC
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150 years ago, President Lincoln issued the preliminary
Emancipation Proclamation. In it, he announced that on January 1, all slaves in
rebellious states would be “then, thenceforward, and forever free.” Today,
Lincoln is remembered as “The Great Emancipator” — but the story is much more
complicated.
On this episode, the History Guys set out to understand the way Americans
thought about emancipation in 1862, and reflect on the ways its meanings have
shifted since then. Along the way, they make stops at the Emancipation Memorial
in Washington D.C., the Civil War centennial commemorations in the height of
the Civil Rights Era, and the former capital of the Confederacy. And they hear
the voices of former slaves themselves, remembering their first experiences of
freedom.
Listen to this audio:
backstoryradio.org/vfhradio-audio/backstory/2013/1/ThenceforwardandForeverFree.mp3
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| Emancipation Memorial, Washington |
