"Emancipation of the Slaves," J. Waeshle, c. 1862

Becoming the Great Emancipator

Lincoln’s image as the Great Emancipator began to develop with the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation issued on September 22, 1862. Here, a newly freed black man and his family pay homage to the president who points heavenward in a messianic manner while broken shackles lie beneath his feet.