The Emancipation Proclamation
Abraham Lincoln
Read by John Greenman
After having written and released an initial draft of this proclamation in September of 1862, minor changes were made and Lincoln signed it on January 1st, 1863. It declared free the slaves in 10 states not then under Union control, with exemptions specified for areas already under Union control in two states. Lincoln spent the next 100 days preparing the army and the nation for emancipation, while Democrats rallied their voters in the 1862 off-year elections by warning of the threat freed slaves posed to northern whites.
Once the abolition of slavery in the rebel states became a military objective, as Union armies advanced south, more slaves were liberated until all three million of them in Confederate territory were freed. Lincoln's comment on the signing of the Proclamation was: "I never, in my life, felt more certain that I was doing right, than I do in signing this paper." - Summary by Wikipedia and John Greenman (0 hr 7 min)
Chapters
| Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation | 7:33 | Read by John Greenman |
Reviews
Well Articulated Speech
MarkB1968
A well spoken & articulated speech. I could understand every word. However, the flow of the words was disjointed & did not sound natural. The narration sounded as though it had been prepared for a large hall, but was delivered in a small room. Overall, a good performance by the reader... my ear is just knit picky.
Dana Law
John, thank you for the fine reading of this important American document. Dana Law San Diego
America at her best....
A LibriVox Listener
A must for any and all persons.
Tap jock
the most important documents in the history of America
G Vats
well expressed and a wonderful speech . thanks
An excellent addition the LibriVox library. Read well.
steamboat2kansas
brave move by a great man. Thanks
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