To Address You As My Friend
African Americans' Letters to Abraham Lincoln
Published on 1. February 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
304 pages
978-1-4696-8840-4 (ISBN)
Description
Many African Americans of the Civil War era felt a personal connection to Abraham Lincoln. For the first time in their lives, an occupant of the White House seemed concerned about the welfare of their race. Indeed, despite the tremendous injustice and discrimination that they faced, African Americans now had confidence to write to the president and to seek redress of their grievances. Their letters express the dilemmas, doubts, and dreams of both recently enslaved and free people in the throes of dramatic change. For many, writing Lincoln was a last resort. Yet their letters were often full of determination, making explicit claims to the rights of U.S. citizenship in a wide range of circumstances.
This compelling collection presents more than 120 letters from African Americans to Lincoln, most of which have never before been published. They offer unflinching, intimate, and often heart-wrenching portraits of Black soldiers' and civilians' experiences in wartime. As readers continue to think critically about Lincoln's image as the "Great Emancipator," this book centers African Americans' own voices to explore how they felt about the president and how they understood the possibilities and limits of the power vested in the federal government.
This compelling collection presents more than 120 letters from African Americans to Lincoln, most of which have never before been published. They offer unflinching, intimate, and often heart-wrenching portraits of Black soldiers' and civilians' experiences in wartime. As readers continue to think critically about Lincoln's image as the "Great Emancipator," this book centers African Americans' own voices to explore how they felt about the president and how they understood the possibilities and limits of the power vested in the federal government.
Reviews / Votes
Original and gripping. . . . These letters provide telling examples of the ways that Black Americans, free and enslaved, proactively and persistently sought liberty by word and deed and laid claim to the rights and responsibilities of citizenship: a truth as pertinent and pressing in the 21st century as during Lincoln's day. . . . White adds immeasurably to the value of the letters by providing informative historical context and relating the disposition of the letter-writers' requests."-Library Journal"White's selection of letters offers glimpses of what many Blacks hoped for and how they viewed Lincoln-unlike any of his predecessors-as an approachable friend. . . . To Address You as My Friend gives life to the unique connection African Americans felt with Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War."-America's Civil War
"White, with an expert editor's touch, has deftly assembled a wonderfully rich and fascinating mosaic of the hopes, dreams, and frustrations of African Americans during the Civil War."-Civil War Monitor
"This outstanding volume of Black Americans' letters to Abraham Lincoln, edited by Jonathan W. White, captures the voices of free Blacks and the newly emancipated at a pivotal moment in history...This collection is especially effective in sketching out the story of Black women during the war, the inordinate sacrifices they bore, and their politicization. Women's experiences are captured in great detail."-Journal of Southern History
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Chapel Hill
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
22 halftones
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
524 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4696-8840-4 (9781469688404)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
09/2021
The University of North Carolina Press
€24.49
Available for download