Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, signed in 1863 at the height of the Civil War, represented a fundamental change in his thinking about freedom and began a process that ultimately brought an end to slavery in the United States. The following year, on September 7, 1864, a delegation “of the loyal colored people of Baltimore” arrived at the White House to give a Bible to Abraham Lincoln. “Mr. President,” they said, “we come to present to you this copy of the Holy Scriptures, as a token of a respect for your active participation in furtherance of the cause of the emancipation of our race." Lincoln said: “In regard to the great book, I can only say it is the best gift which God has ever given man.”
Share
More Book Minute Features
February 18, 2019
President’s Day 2019
U.S. Presidents, from a range of religious backgrounds, have frequently quoted the Bible in speeches, acknowledging the influence of the Bible in thei...
February 11, 2019
Black History Month: Fannie Lou Hamer
As a civil rights activist in the 1960s, Fannie Lou Hamer helped focus attention on the plight of African Americans. She came into the national spotli...
February 04, 2019
Black History Month: Henry Ossawa Tanner
Henry Ossawa Tanner was one of the most distinguished artists of the 19th century, and the first African American artist recognized internationally fo...