Carl Adams grew up in Alton, Illinois where historically the first shots of American Civil War killed Abolitionist news publisher Reverend E.P. Lovejoy was assassinated protecting Freedom of the Press in 1837. Author is a life long admirer or Abraham Lincoln. Adams did not think of it at the time, but lived on the socially invisible colour line between the white 'hood' and the black neighborhood and went to an integrated school when much of the US was fighting over segregation during the Civil Rights Movement. During the 'summer of rioting' following the murder of Martin L. King in 1968 childhood friends suddenly became enemies caught in the cross fire of social justice for people of colour. These events left a life long impression of social justice. In 2003, Adams, a white guy, was presented the R.B. Garrett Humanitarian Award from the African American Museum in Peoria Illinois for the research into the genealogy of Nance, the first slave freed by Abraham Lincoln 20 years before the Civil War.
"...a dramatic true account of "Trials of Freedom" ... which knelled the end of slavery in Illinois at a time when it was extremely important in national politics." HUFFINGTON POST; O'Brian Browne "Nance Legins-Costley, who had been born to slaves and sold twice before Lincoln took up her case ..." London DAILY MAIL " ... The Curator at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Dr. James Cornelius, ... said, Adams has done a remarkable job ..." ASSOCIATED PRESS, Minneapolis; Steven Karnowski "The Trials of Nance is impeccably researched ... Nance's story is beautifully told ..." Jadi Campbell, editor; novelist of GROUNDED, BROKEN IN and TSUNAMI COWBOYS "She was thought of as the first civil rights leader as a black woman because she did stand up ... she went to court five times ... she was persistent." Curator African-American Museum, Peoria; Millie Hall "Lincoln was able to get the court to say that people cannot be bought, sold, traded ... Once it was clear in the eyes of the law ... slavery will effectively die." Dr. Junius Rodriquez, author CHRONOLOGY OF WORLD SLAVERY and others. "This is the only story about Abraham Lincoln that is really new." JOURNAL ILLINOIS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY editor, Dr. Eileen McMahon "She was born in the building used as the Territorial Capitol, on site where the 1818 Constitution was written which prohibited slavery, yet she was held in bondage ... The polarity of that is just absolutely amazing!" William Maddox, History teacher, Lincoln Middle School, Peoria, Illinois. OLD QUOTES: "... the first time he [Lincoln] gave to these grave questions [on slavery] ... the study of this case deepened and developed the antislavery convictions of his just and generous mind." Congressman Isaac Arnold -- 1881 "Admitting his premises his conclusions were irresistible." Judge William Thomas -- 1866 "Among the cases ... of dramatic import ... 'that she had declared herself to be free.'" Ida Tarbell -- 1902 "Of his conduct of this case Mr. Lincoln was more or less proud, and the case itself has been generously and frequently cited in the appellate courts of other states." Jessie Weik -- 1922 "For nearly a century it has been storied and sung that Lincoln, as a young man, won freedom for Black Nance, a slave..." William H. Williamson -- 1938 Lincoln argued, in part, that the girl was a free person until she was proven to be a slave ... the Supreme Court took practically the same view and Lincoln won his case." Carl Sandberg -- 1947 "Certainly this was one of the most far-reaching of the 250 cases in which Lincoln was to appear before the state's highest tribunal." Federal Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas -- 1962
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