New Books in History – The Children of Lincoln

New Books in History host Colin Mustful presents an interview with Dr. William Green, author of the book The Children of Lincoln: White Paternalism and the Limits of Black Opportunity in Minnesota, 1860–1876. Dr. Green, who is a professor of history at Augsburg University and vice president of the Minnesota Historical Society, examines the role of four white abolitionists in Minnesota during the American Civil War and Reconstruction periods as they fought for and won black rights before finally stating, “We have done our part.” The Children of Lincoln is a fascinating, well-researched book about the limits of black opportunity in Minnesota with remarkable parallels to today’s social and political climate.