Existing comment:
Authorized edition of the Emancipation Proclamation
Leland and Baker, 1864
Loaned by David M. Rubenstein
Signed by Lincoln himself, this special edition was one of several auctioned at the Philadelphia's Sanitary Fair to raise money to care for Union soldiers. Of the 48 copies printed and signed, the whereabouts of only 26 are known today.
The Cradle of the Emancipation Proclamation
President Lincoln moved his family to the Cottage in June 1862, in the wake of his son Willie's death and a string of military disappointments. Though Lincoln found moments to relax with family and friends, he also conducted important meetings, made crucial military decisions, and developed some of his greatest ideas here. Within weeks of moving to the Cottage, he began to craft the Emancipation Proclamation.
The Emancipation Proclamation paved the way to freedom for millions of slaves in the United States. Supporters of the document viewed it as a crucial step toward greater freedom, while detractors declared it a violation of the U.S. Constitution and civil liberties. The Emancipation Proclamation remains a testament to Lincoln's hope for an America free from slavery. |