Document Deep Dive: Emancipation Proclamation
When freeing the slaves 150 years ago, Abraham Lincoln traded in his famous lyricism for a dry, legal tone. Harold Holzer explains why
- By Megan Gambino
- Smithsonian.com, December 19, 2012, Subscribe
When President Abraham Lincoln read the first draft of his Emancipation Proclamation to his Cabinet on July 22, 1862, it was to mixed reviews. Undeterred, he gathered that it would be best to announce his plan to free the slaves in seceded states on the heels of a Union victory. So, he waited.
Exactly two months later, after the strategic win at Antietam, Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, giving fair warning that he would sign an official version in 100 days.
The celebrated orator toiled over the exact wording of the final document right up until he signed it, on January 1, 1863. But, if Americans were expecting poetry, they were sorely disappointed. The proclamation was uncharacteristically plain.
Harold Holzer, a Civil War scholar who recently consulted on Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, takes an in-depth look at the style and structure of the Emancipation Proclamation in his book, Emancipating Lincoln: The Proclamation in Text, Context, and Memory. He ultimately argues that the “leaden language” is a virtue, not a flaw—giving the order the strength to withstand legal challenges.
In a way, says Holzer, Karl Marx, a contemporary of Lincoln’s, described the president’s writing the best: “He always presents the most important act in the most insignificant form possible.”
Here, below, is a close textual analysis of the Emancipation Proclamation, based on a conversation with Holzer and information conveyed in his book, published earlier this year. The historic document, held at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., has faded considerably over time (making it somewhat difficult to read). It is rarely exhibited for the public, due to the risk of further light damage. However, the proclamation will be on display from December 30, 2012, to January 1, 2013, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of its signing.
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Comments (2)
Holzer's use of "renigging" instead of "reneging" in page 5 of the notes should have been caught by an editor. "Renigging" is an offensive term, especially in this context.
Posted by Mike Triplett on January 3,2013 | 09:12 AM
Growing up in Mason City, IA in the 30's, 40's & 50's I was not aware of the segregation rules that were still enforced in our southern states. Separate areas for whites and blacks were not present in my home town. It wasn't until 1952 when I was traveling through the state of Oklahoma that I experienced segregation first hand. I went to the train station in Oklahoma City to see a friend off when I spotted a high school class mate of mine who was in his army uniform and waiting for a train to take him back to his base. I called his name and we hugged, so happy to see each other. We had grown up together and had played sports together all through our school years. We looked for a place to sit and talk to catch up on what had been happening to us since graduating from school. We looked for a coffee shop to have a cup and talk. There were signs all over station designating black and white areas. There was no place my friend and I could be together because he was black and I was white. We ended up sitting out side the station on the steps until it was time for him to leave. This was my eye opening experience that remains so vividly in my memory till this very day and that was sixty years ago. The emancipation proclamation was truly one of the most important pieces of legislation that this country has adopted and we have come a long way since its introduction, how ever we still have a long way to go. God bless President Lincoln and his staff for the fortitude to pass such legislation.
Posted by John J. Fitzgerald Ill on December 31,2012 | 04:00 PM