Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-2006
Department 1
Civil War Era Studies
Department 2
History
Abstract
On more than one occasion, the historical record has implied that Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation was a hastily composed document: an impulsive reaction to military events surrounding the Civil War. In fact, it was an evolving idea that began to take shape long before Lincoln had read the initial draft of the Proclamation to his cabinet on July 22, 1862. A closer look at the role of Vice-President Hannibal Hamlin of Maine during the most divisive presidency in American history sheds new light on the consideration and deliberation that went into drafting a document that, on January 1, 1863, essentially freed four million slaves. During the preceding months, the Proclamation was so frequently edited, criticized, and transformed by so many different people that it is almost necessary to talk about the Emancipation Proclamations, rather than the a solitary Emancipation Proclamation. Hamlin was among those who shared in the president's confidence during these formative months.
Copyright Note
This is the publisher's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
Recommended Citation
Guelzo, Allen C. "'A Contingent Somebody': Hannibal Hamlin's Claim for a First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation." Maine History 42.4 (July 2006) 258-270.
Required Publisher's Statement
Original version is available from the publisher at: http://www.mainehistory.org/publications.shtml
Included in
African American Studies Commons, Political History Commons, United States History Commons