Praise for Colonization after Emancipation:
“[A]n intriguing and important new book…To their great credit, Magness and Page do not push their evidence too hard. This is a measured and subtly argued book. Nevertheless, their research raises important questions.” – Adam I.P. Smith, Times Literary Supplement
“What makes this book exceptional is that its authors have turned to an entirely neglected archive – the lode of Lincoln material reposing in British and other European repositories…The authors are to be saluted for their enterprising and original research. They have made an important contribution to the literature.” – Harold Holzer, Chairman, Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission
“A first-rate, well-researched book. The authors have a very firm command of the literature and the complex primary sources surrounding this topic, and I was impressed with their ability to trace the sometimes labyrinthine course of colonization policy” – Brian Dirck, author of Lincoln the Lawyer
“There is no doubt this book is going to attract a great deal of attention. Its strength lies in its nuanced analysis and the balanced conclusion it draws.” – Richard J.M. Blackett, author of Divided Hearts: Britain and the American Civil War
“Colonization after Emancipation boasts something highly unusual in the crowded world of Lincoln studies: an untapped trove of documentary evidence with which to assess Lincoln’s views on slavery, race, and emancipation” – K. Stephen Prince, Civil War History
“For those interested in Lincoln’s racial policies and the details of his administration’s handling and mishandling of possible colonization projects, this book is required reading.” – Edward Bonekemper, author of Ulysses S. Grant: A Victor, Not a Butcher
“Earlier this year, an archival find undermined this soothing view. Phillip Magness and Sebastian Page discovered new evidence that Lincoln continued to support colonisation schemes in 1863 and 1864…This wasn’t a deportation effort: as usual, colonisation recruiters looked for volunteers rather than conscripts for the British plantations. But this evidence casts considerable doubt on the ‘inter-racial future’ that Lincoln supposedly imagined in 1863.” – Nicholas Guyatt, London Review of Books
“Magness and Page handle the subject very well. They present the evidence clearly, delve into the details with commendable thoroughness, and evaluate the implications of their case study for the larger issues involved in assessing Lincoln’s handling of the most difficult problem facing Civil War America.” – Earl J. Hess, Civil War Monitor
What others are saying about Phil Magness’ research:
“Because of brilliant historical detective work by Phillip W. Magness, we now know that Butler did meet with Lincoln, but on April 11, 1865, the very day he delivered his final speech about black suffrage.” – Henry Louis Gates, Jr., author of Lincoln on Race and Slavery
“Phil Magness is showing us how to make American economic history well-tempered.” – Brian Domitrovic, author of Econoclasts and Forbes.com columnist
“The Indiana Jones of Lincoln researchers” – Mark Borgiasz