Illusions of Emancipation

The Pursuit of Freedom and Equality in the Twilight of Slavery

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Discrimination & Race Relations, Cultural Studies, African-American Studies, History, Americas, United States, Civil War Period (1850-1877)
Cover of the book Illusions of Emancipation by Joseph P. Reidy, The University of North Carolina Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Joseph P. Reidy ISBN: 9781469648378
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press Publication: January 15, 2019
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press Language: English
Author: Joseph P. Reidy
ISBN: 9781469648378
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Publication: January 15, 2019
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Language: English

As students of the Civil War have long known, emancipation was not merely a product of Lincoln's proclamation or of Confederate defeat in April 1865. It was a process that required more than legal or military action. With enslaved people fully engaged as actors, emancipation necessitated a fundamental reordering of a way of life whose implications stretched well beyond the former slave states. Slavery did not die quietly or quickly, nor did freedom fulfill every dream of the enslaved or their allies. The process unfolded unevenly.

In this sweeping reappraisal of slavery's end during the Civil War era, Joseph P. Reidy employs the lenses of time, space, and individuals' sense of personal and social belonging to understand how participants and witnesses coped with drastic change, its erratic pace, and its unforeseeable consequences. Emancipation disrupted everyday habits, causing sensations of disorientation that sometimes intensified the experience of reality and sometimes muddled it. While these illusions of emancipation often mixed disappointment with hope, through periods of even intense frustration they sustained the promise that the struggle for freedom would result in victory.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

As students of the Civil War have long known, emancipation was not merely a product of Lincoln's proclamation or of Confederate defeat in April 1865. It was a process that required more than legal or military action. With enslaved people fully engaged as actors, emancipation necessitated a fundamental reordering of a way of life whose implications stretched well beyond the former slave states. Slavery did not die quietly or quickly, nor did freedom fulfill every dream of the enslaved or their allies. The process unfolded unevenly.

In this sweeping reappraisal of slavery's end during the Civil War era, Joseph P. Reidy employs the lenses of time, space, and individuals' sense of personal and social belonging to understand how participants and witnesses coped with drastic change, its erratic pace, and its unforeseeable consequences. Emancipation disrupted everyday habits, causing sensations of disorientation that sometimes intensified the experience of reality and sometimes muddled it. While these illusions of emancipation often mixed disappointment with hope, through periods of even intense frustration they sustained the promise that the struggle for freedom would result in victory.

More books from The University of North Carolina Press

Cover of the book Our Separate Ways by Joseph P. Reidy
Cover of the book Revolution and Reality by Joseph P. Reidy
Cover of the book Seasons of Change by Joseph P. Reidy
Cover of the book The Party at Jack's by Joseph P. Reidy
Cover of the book Ludwig Erhard by Joseph P. Reidy
Cover of the book "Personal in My Memory": The South in Popular Film by some of our favorite writers and filmmakers by Joseph P. Reidy
Cover of the book Tar Heel Laughter by Joseph P. Reidy
Cover of the book Religion as Critique by Joseph P. Reidy
Cover of the book Children of the Father King by Joseph P. Reidy
Cover of the book The Abortion Rights Controversy in America by Joseph P. Reidy
Cover of the book Winds of Change by Joseph P. Reidy
Cover of the book American Liberalism by Joseph P. Reidy
Cover of the book Theodore Peed's Turtle Party by Joseph P. Reidy
Cover of the book A Nation of Religions by Joseph P. Reidy
Cover of the book A Republic in Time by Joseph P. Reidy
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy