Day 12: A Presdient, A Civil War, and An Unlikely Path to Abolition

         There have been many books written about Abraham Lincoln and the Abolishment movement.  At this point one could ask, was there really a need for another book?   The answer to this question is a loud and affirming Yes.  James Oates produced one of the best books on this very subject.  The Crooked Path to Abolition: Abraham Lincoln n and the Antislavery Constitution.  It seems natural to bring this book up as today is his 212th Birthday.  

      There were many factors that presented "detours" on the path to abolishing slavery in the United States.  First of all, the South were not ready to see what was in front of their eyes.  Slavery was not only immoral but costly.   Secondly, there were those who looked at the Constitution in two opposing views.  One that it was a anti-slavery document the other the is was Pro-slavery.  What did the constitution mean when it said all men were created equal?  Third,  did the Federal Government have the right to abolish slavery or was it a state's right?  It has been suggested that President Lincoln did not have a clear cut plan to ending slavery.  However, according to James Oakes,  that is not true.  He points out time and time again that Lincoln's strategy was consistent and committed to pushing the Antislavery agenda until slaves would be freed.  That is evident in Lincoln's own words,  "If slavery is not wrong,  nothing is wrong.  I cannot remember a time when I did not so think, and feel so." 

    Oakes brilliantly lays out how Presdient Lincoln took advantage of  how the Civil War opened up many opportunities to enact antislavery laws.  The Emancipation Proclamation was a bold move in itself but also a military order that intended and succeeded in undermining slavery across the South.   It eventually led to six states abolishing slavery,  joining with the union and in led to the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery. This book details the crocked path that makes perfect, practical sense when viewed with the lens of history.   Presdient Lincoln was an extraordinary man dealing with extraordinary times.   Yet he accomplished what he set out out do and in the end America was changed forever.  

    Just under 200 pages, this book packs in more punch than the thickest tomes on the Civil War.  Oakes is a tremendously gifted writer takes complex historical times, with all its twist and turns, and unravels them to make it understandable.  History buffs will love this book.  Those who have little patience with big history books that drone on and on will be pleasantly surprised that this book gets straight to the heart of the topic.  If readers are looking for the ONE  history book to read this year, can't get any better than Oakes' book.   Guaranteed!