Despite being the author of the Emancipation Proclamation and the moral force behind the 13th Amendment, Abraham Lincoln has sometimes been criticized for being a racist. Looking closer at the historical evidence, David Reynolds refutes these charges by honing in on Lincoln's personal interactions with Black people. Citing the reminiscences of prominent abolitionists like Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth as well as kitchen servants and tradesmen, this history reveals the inherent dignity of Lincoln, and the far-reaching consequences of his belief that all Americans were equal.
"Provocative and extensively documented…. A resolute and well-researched vindication of Lincoln's progressive credentials."—Publishers Weekly