History Commons^™

Lincoln And The Abolitionists, Allen C. Guelzo

History Faculty Publications

It has always been one of the ironies of the era of the Civil War and the end of slavery in the United States that the man who played the role of Great Emancipator of the slaves was so hugely mistrusted and so energetically vilified by the party of abolition. Abraham Lincoln, whatever his larger reputation as the liberator of more than three million black slaves in the Emancipation Proclamation, has never entirely shaken off the reputation of being something of a half-heart about it. [excerpt]

Reexamining The Racial Record Of Abraham Lincoln, Jonathan Scott Holloway, William E. Gienapp, Gabor Boritt, Allen C. Guelzo

Civil War Era Studies Faculty Publications

Since his death in 1865 Abraham Lincoln has been universally honored in black America. In many black homes and businesses, his photograph often hangs in honor next to the one of Martin Luther King Jr. But a new book by Ebony editor Lerone Bennett Jr. contends that Lincoln was a crude bigot who told demeaning darky jokes, had an unquenchable thirst for minstrel shows, consistently used the word "nigger," and supported efforts to ship Negroes back to Africa.

As Jack E. White pointed out in a recent Time magazine article, this book largely has been ignored by the mainstream press. …

Interview With Robert Reynolds, August 23, 2000, Robert Reynolds, Michael J. Birkner

Oral Histories

In the last part of a series of interviews conducted by Michael J. Birkner, Robert Reynolds discussed on August 23, 2000 his life after World War II. After the war, Reynolds moved to Gettysburg. He discussed his time at a rubber factory and his decision to become a teacher at 50.

Length of Interview: 49 minutes

Collection Note: This oral history was selected from the Oral History Collection maintained by Special Collections & College Archives. Transcripts are available for browsing in the Special Collections Reading Room, 4^th floor, Musselman Library. GettDigital contains the complete listing of oral histories done …

Interview With James I. Tarman, May 5, 2000, James I. Tarman, Michael J. Birkner

Oral Histories

James I. Tarman was interviewed on May 5, 2000 by Michael J. Birkner about his years as a student at Gettysburg College, Class of 1952, and becoming the school's first public relations director. He discusses his experience as a history major, his extracurricular activities and his social life on campus, including how he met his wife. Finally, he talks about his dedication to the school as the director of public relations.

Length of Interview: 31 minutes

Collection Note: This oral history was selected from the Oral History Collection maintained by Special Collections & College Archives. Transcripts are available for browsing …

Come-Outers And Community Men: Abraham Lincoln And The Idea Of Community In Nineteenth-Century America, Allen C. Guelzo

Civil War Era Studies Faculty Publications

The most eloquent and moving words Abraham Lincoln ever uttered about any community were those "few and simple words" he spoke on the rear platform of the railroad car that lay waiting on the morning of February 11, 1861, to take him to Washington, to the presidency, and ultimately to his death. As his "own breast heaved with emotion" so that "he could scarcely command his feelings sufficiently to commence" (in the description of James C. Conkling), Lincoln declared that "No one, not in my situation, can appreciate my feeling of sadness at this parting." To leave Springfield was to …