The Emancipation Proclamation and the End of Slavery in America

Gr 5–8—This strong series prefaces its examination of one of the most pivotal movements in U.S. history with The Emancipation Proclamation volume. Subsequent volumes explore the extensive, often violent prejudices faced by African Americans in the years following the Civil War. Each title examines the issue at hand with concise, even-handed thoroughness. The series shows clearly some of the root causes of systemic segregation, such as the 1896 U.S. Supreme Court case, Plessy v. Ferguson, wherein states were granted the authority to mandate separate facilities for black people and white people. For instance, in The Civil Rights Act of 1964, the author summarizes the issue succinctly: "The landmark legislation outlawed discrimination based on race, ethnicity, nationality, or gender. It made racial segregation and other Jim Crow laws designed to prevent African Americans from voting illegal." Great choices for most school and public libraries.