NYTimes Charles Blow Opinion

[Steve]

(08-29-2023 07:11 PM)David Lockmiller Wrote:  Can you please explain, if you are able to do so, how a book "notorious as bad history" is able to sell two million copies? Did not other reputable historians criticize the book on this basis?

I don't have any real interest in talking about Zinn and his book, I just wanted to make a point about Blow's column. But in a quick response to your question above, my personal opinion is the book a money-maker and the inaccuracies/distortions are a feature and not a bug for its intended audience; and even a contributing factor of why the book sold so well over many editions.

But since this a Lincoln focused forum, I'll do a quick appraisal of the Zinn quote you made in an earlier post. Hundreds of thousands of slaves left their plantations (and other similar situations) and joined Union soldier lines. I know Lincoln and his advisors may have been disappointed in what seemed like a lack of escaping slaves at first, but the Emancipation Proclamation provided an avenue for slaves to free themselves when Union lines reached near their locations. And after the war was over, it did free millions.

Also, Lincoln was instrumental in getting the 13th amendment passed in Congress. The amendment had failed in the House of Representatives in June 1864, after passing in the Senate. It was Lincoln's insistence on bringing it up for another vote during the lame-duck session of Congress to prevent the Senate-passed bill from dying and his constant politicking which secured passage of the amendment in Congress.

I'll write my response to the Blow article when I have more time.