David E. Long

This provocative book, nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, marks a milestone in Civil War and Lincoln history. Dr. David E. Long, a professor of law and history, is the first to investigate deeply the events of 1864 that eventually produced Lincoln's re-election and, with it, the emancipation of the slaves. In so doing, the author illuminates and dramatizes a moment in which the fate of democracy itself was in the balance. Never in our past has the nature and future of the nation depended so much on the ballot box, for within that box truly lay The Jewel of Liberty. - Back cover.

The Jewel of Liberty marks a milestone in Civil War and Lincoln history, combining in-depth research with challenging new arguments to present the case for the election of 1864 -- which returned Lincoln to office to continue the war and cemented emancipation -- as the most important in American history. Had Lincoln lost, the Confederacy might have achieved its two main goals: independence as a nation and the perpetuation of slavery. Never in our past has the nature and future of the nation depended so much on the ballot box. - Publisher.

256 p. : 31 cm