This distinguished edition captures a pivotal moment of justice in the United States with a document that paved the way for the abolition of slavery This handsome, pocket-sized Smithsonian edition printed in the United States contains Lincoln's groundbreaking executive order and the writings that helped form it, with features that make it the perfect The edition stands out in the market with an illuminating new introduction from Paul Gardullo, curator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History. His research on the impact of slavery in America's cultural memory contextualizes the historical document as part of a larger cultural narrative, connecting its legacy to modern day. Abraham Lincoln considered the Emancipation Proclamation the crowning achievement of his presidency, and it is easy to see why. The imperative document freed African Americans enslaved in the Confederate states, transformed the purpose and stakes of the Civil War, and served as a precursor to the Thirteenth Amendment, which would end slavery across the nation. The Emancipation Proclamation was a major turning point in the struggle for African American freedom.