The Jewel of Liberty

By the summer of 1864, Abraham Lincoln had good reason to fear that he might not be re-elected. The continuing toll of three years of indecisive war had seriously weakened the resolve of the Northern people to continue the fight. Lincoln's Democratic Party opponent, General George B. McClellan, was formidable; he enjoyed tremendous popularity and commanded the votes of all those opposed to the war. With a McClellan victory, the war might end, the Confederate States of America might win independence, and slavery might be perpetuated indefinitely. This text, nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, marks a milestone in Civil War and Lincoln history. It investigates deeply the events of 1864 that eventually produced Lincoln's re-election and, with it, the emancipation of the slaves.