4. Abraham Lincoln and the Recruitment of Black Soldiers

Abstract

1* or all the volumes written about Abraham Lincoln, for all the eloquent words spoken by Lincoln himself?for all the polls that mark him a great man, a national, even international, hero?the Civil War President remains something of an enigma.1 Our continuation today of the "Lincoln and" tradition suggests our preoccupation with his views on great issues. Given a correlary interest in the topic of race in American history, it is not surprising that Lincoln's place in that central theme remains a subject of debate. The revolutionary developments of the post-World War II period in the area of what is broadly termed "civil rights" have led to a r??valuation of Lincoln?from the great emancipator to the reluctant emancipator to the white supremacist, or, in more vulgar terms, Lincoln as just another honkie.