Lincoln's Hundred Days: the Emancipation Proclamation and the War for The Union

At the sesquicentennial of the Emancipation Proclamation, this visual presentation seeks to restore the document’s reputation by exploring its evolution. Louis P. Masur, Professor of American Studies and History at Rutgers University, tells the full story of the critical period between September 22, 1862, when Lincoln issued his preliminary Proclamation, and January 1, 1863, when he signed the final, significantly altered, decree. He presents a fresh portrait of Lincoln as a complex figure who worried about, listened to, debated, prayed for, and even joked with his country, and then followed his conviction in directing America toward a terrifying and thrilling unknown.