Primary and Secondary Sources
How and why did Lincoln's views on emancipation evolve over the course of the Civil War?
In order to become familiar with the disparate views about Lincoln's motives in formally drafting the Emancipation Proclamation, you will analyze several secondary sources from noted Civil War historians and Lincoln biographers. In addition, you will complete a short-answer response comparing the arguments about Lincoln's motives in order to incorporate scholars' views in your own close reading of one primary source document penned by Abraham Lincoln.
In order to uncover President Lincoln's motives for emancipating slaves in America, you will listen to and read a sample close reading of a Lincoln primary source by following a link to the House Divided research engine. Altogether, the class will read several primary sources from Abraham Lincoln on slavery and emancipation, and then individuals will research an additional document and create a close reading of it by summarizing the source and denoting the historical context and subtext.