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.