Date of Award
Spring 5-13-2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
History
First Advisor
Dr. Christopher Childers
Second Advisor
Dr. Kirstin Lawson
Third Advisor
Dr. Cheryl Giefer
Abstract
This study serves as an analysis of the connections between Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States and John Charles Frémont as a Civil War general. Lincoln’s position within history is solid, unlike that of John C. Frémont. The thesis will elevate Frémont to a higher status as a historical figure by arguing that the emancipation edict that he issued for Missouri in August of 1861 would influence Abraham Lincoln’s preliminary emancipation proclamation of September 1862, even though Lincoln repealed Frémont’s decree. In biographies of each man, their interactions are merely a small part of the stories of their lives, but the interconnected nature of their Civil War experiences shaped the process of emancipation in the United States. Fully understanding the ways in which emancipation unfolded, and how John C. Frémont contributed to that, can allow for a less biased understanding of emancipation’s history, and restore to its rightful place the names of those who helped guide the way. Abraham Lincoln did not initially intend to emancipate all slaves in the South. And although the proclamation was his, the people who helped form it deserve commendation for their role in shaping history. Nor was John C. Frémont an entirely commendable figure, but was instead one who made many mistakes. Studying the relationship between these men can illuminate another side of Lincoln that is frequently glossed over, and can also show Frémont’s strengths and weaknesses, rather than merely looking at one side of the story, as many histories have done.
Recommended Citation
Yantis, Kourtney, "THE RAILSPLITTER AND THE PATHFINDER: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND JOHN C. FRÉMONT" (2023). Electronic Theses & Dissertations. 459.
https://digitalcommons.pittstate.edu/etd/459
Included in
American Politics Commons, Constitutional Law Commons, Cultural History Commons, Law and Politics Commons, Military History Commons, Military, War, and Peace Commons, Political History Commons, President/Executive Department Commons, Social History Commons, State and Local Government Law Commons, United States History Commons, Women's History Commons