Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Lincoln recalls the Emancipation Proclamation as a symbol of hope that ended the darkness of slavery for millions.
- In plain terms
- The proclamation brought hope and freedom to enslaved people after years of suffering.
- What can you take from it?
- Hopeful decrees can end long periods of injustice.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do symbols of hope persist after their initial impact?
- What distinguishes a decree from actual liberation?
Another view
The promise of freedom took much longer to fully realize than the decree suggested.
More from Abraham Lincoln
Now let it be written in history and on Mr. Lincoln's tombstone: 'He died an unbeliever.'
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