The Jewel of Liberty marks a milestone in Civil War and Lincoln history, combining in-depth research with challenging new arguments to present the case for the election of 1864 which returned Lincoln to office and cemented emancipation as the most important in American history. Had Lincoln lost, the Confederacy might have achieved its two main goals, independence as a nation and the perpetuation of slavery. Never in our past has the nature and future of the nation depended so much on the ballot box.