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Days Of Jubilee

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While the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation is often thought of as the end of slavery in the United States, the truth is that slaves were freed at different times over the course of several years. The day that slaves were told of their freedom was called their day of Jubilee.

Starting with information related to blacks' roles during the American Revolution and working chronologically through December of 1865, this book presents the story of the end of slavery as seen through the eyes of so many concerned parties. The narratives of slaves are abundant, but the diary entries, narratives, and letters of Union soldiers, Confederate soldiers, mothers, fathers, generals, presidents, politicians' wives and newspaper reporters are all included.

The major battles of the Civil War and explanations of war strategies are discussed in fascinating detail. (Honestly--This is the first time I've ever enjoyed learning about a war.) Generals Grant and Lee are both given a voice, and the story of the assassination of the President is told in stunning specificity. Readers will learn about the formation of the Ku Klux Klan, of blacks' insistence in fighting for the cause in which they believed, and what happened unexpectedly to slaves immediately following their release from slavery.

In elementary school, students often learn about the Civil War in terms of the loving, kind Abraham Lincoln and the open-minded Union Army that paraded into the South to save the slaves from their terrible lives. This book, mainly because of its inclusion of primary document information, provides a more honest and yet even more so captivating story of what really happened in those five years while slavery was coming to an end.

Readers will attach to many of the characters in this book, including the senator's wife Mary Chestnut who writes of her fears of losing the war and her slaves, and Elizabeth Keckley, and African American woman who became the seamstress to Mrs. Lincoln.

The black/white and sepia photos of the men, women, events, and surroundings of the 1800's greatly enhance the story.

This book is truly stunning and includes great, detailed information in a writing style that appeals to the young reader.

This was a fascinating and thought provoking look at the end of American slavery. You will learn many things about the civil war, some about the Underground Railroad, and some about the conflicting politics of the north and south, Abraham Lincoln, his allies and enemies. It is filled with narratives from slaves, diary entries from prominent white politicians and abolitionists and accounts of African American contributions in many Civil War battles.

I don't normally read non-fiction for fun, but this was a worthwhile read, and we can still learn many lessons about tolerance and attitudes about racism today.

This is one of the best non-fiction books that I have ever read. It gives a clear and thoughtful description of the details leading up to the Civil War and immediately after. I wish that I had this book when I was in school. I never liked history because it seemed like I was memorizing arbitrary dates and Amendments. If my history books had been written this well, it would have all made sense. This is a wonderful book for anyone's library.