Free at Last A Documentary History of Slavery, Freedom, and the Civil War
"Free at Last" brings together some of the most remarkable letters ever written by Americans. The documents also show the active role of slaves and former slaves in transforming a war for the Union into a war against slavery, demonstrating, according to the "Journal of American History," "that the destruction of slavery was accomplished through black self-determination." Perhaps most importantly, the documents vividly demonstrate how emancipation transformed the lives of all Americans, black and white.