Freedom''s Crescent : The Civil War and the Destruction of Slavery in the Lower Mississippi Valley

Sweeping in scope, this book demonstrates how the Lower Mississippi Valley shaped the outcome of the Civil War and epitomized the destruction of slavery across the American South. Framed as a chronological narrative, this book will appeal to historians and general readers interested in emancipation and the Civil War.

The Lower Mississippi Valley is more than just a distinct geographical region of the United States; it was central to the outcome of the Civil War and the destruction of slavery in the American South. Beginning with Lincoln's 1860 presidential election and concluding with the final ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865, Freedom's Crescent explores the four states of this region that seceded and joined the Confederacy: Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana. By weaving into a coherent narrative the major military campaigns that enveloped the region, the daily disintegration of slavery in the countryside, and political developments across the four states and in Washington DC, John C. Rodrigue identifies the Lower Mississippi Valley as the epicenter of emancipation in the South. A sweeping examination of one of the war's most important theaters, this book highlights the integral role this region played in transforming United States history.