To Address You as My Friend: African Americans' Letters to Abraham Lincoln

Many African Americans of the Civil War era felt a personal connection to Abraham Lincoln. For the first time in their lives, an occupant of the White House seemed concerned about the welfare of their race. Indeed, despite the tremendous injustice and discrimination that they faced, African Americans now had confidence to write to the president and to seek redress of their grievances. Their letters express the dilemmas, doubts, and dreams of both recently enslaved and free people in the throes of dramatic change. For many, writing Lincoln was a last resort. Yet their letters were often full of determination, making explicit claims to the rights of U.S. citizenship in a wide range of circumstances. This compelling collection presents more than 120 letters from African Americans to Lincoln, most of which have never before been published. They offer unflinching, intimate, and often heart-wrenching portraits of Black soldiers' and civilians' experiences in wartime. As readers continue to think critically about Lincoln's image as the "Great Emancipator," this book centers African Americans' own voices to explore how they felt about the president and how they understood the possibilities and limits of the power vested in the federal government.

Author: Jonathan W. White
Publisher: University of North Carolina Press
Published: 10/26/2021
Pages: 304
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.20lbs
Size: 9.40h x 8.00w x 1.00d
ISBN13: 9781469665078
ISBN10: 1469665077
BISAC Categories:
- Social Science | Ethnic Studies | American | African American & Black Studies
- History | United States | Civil War Period (1850-1877)
- Biography & Autobiography | Cultural, Ethnic & Regional | General

About the Author
Jonathan W. White is associate professor of American studies at Christopher Newport University and author or editor of several previous books, including Midnight in America: Darkness, Sleep, and Dreams during the Civil War.