Freedom: A Documentary History of Emancipation, 1861–1867 2 Volume Paperback Set: Volume 1, The Destruction of Slavery: Series I

by Barbara J. Fields, Thavolia Glymph, Joseph P. Reidy

The American Civil War destroyed slavery in the South. At first, most white Americans denied what would eventually seem self-evident. But black Americans saw clearly that the sectional conflict was their greatest opportunity for liberation. This volume of Freedom presents a documentary record of the transformation of the Civil War into a war against slavery, and the slaves' role in their own emancipation. The Destruction of Slavery shows the process by which a war for Union became a war for freedom. It demonstrates how three interrelated circumstances opened opportunities to slaves: first, the character of slave society; second, the course of the war itself; and third, the policies of the Union and Confederate governments. Together, they made emancipation an uneven, halting, and often tenuous process in which slaves played the central role.

890 pages, Paperback

First published February 26, 2010

About the author

Barbara Jeanne Fields is a professor of American history at Columbia University. Her focus is on the history of the American South, 19th century social history, and the transition to capitalism in the United States.