Historian Michael Burlingame delivers a presentation on Abraham Lincoln and the process by which Lincoln came to embrace the liberation of slaves.  His lecture was part of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society’s symposium on Emancipation during the Civil War.  This program is forty-five minutes.

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The most prominent civil rights activist in the 19th century was Frederick Douglass. His relationship with Abraham Lincoln helped convince the President that he must act on the issue of emancipation. History professor Diane Barnes spoke about Douglass at the annual spring symposium of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society.

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African Americans living in the nation’s capital were freed when Abraham Lincoln signed the District of Columbia Emancipation Act in April 1862, nine months before he issued the Emancipation Proclamation.  Kate Masur of Northwestern University spoke about the impact of the law at the U.S. Capitol Historical Society.

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History Professor Chandra Manning looks at the Emancipation Proclamation and the escalation of the Civil War. Professor Manning also examines the role that black soldiers played in the Union victory. The class took place at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

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History professor Roger Davidson discusses emancipation and U.S. Colored Troops during the Civil War. Professor Davidson explains how African Americans used the disorder caused by the Civil War to escape enslavement. He also details how former slaves offered their services to Union forces to help bring about the end of slavery. This class took place at Coppin State University in Baltimore, Maryland.

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On American History TV’s The Civil War: Historian Gary Gallagher argues that the primary motive of the North during the War was to preserve the “Union”—not to emancipate the slaves. However, Union forces “should” be credited with moving emancipation forward.  He presented the keynote address at a symposium on “Emancipation during the Civil War” with the U-S Capitol Historical Society.

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The Organization of American Historians Annual Conference 2011 holds a discussion on Emancipation and the Civil War, specifically looking at the contraband camps that offered refuge and protection for escaped slaves. Among the topics were the citizenship rights gained by African-Americans during and after the war, and the abuses inflicted on African-American soldiers.

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The National Park Service rededicates Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial. As the nation marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and after a six-year restoration effort, Americans can once again see the house much as Lee knew it.

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