Emancipation Oration

Many critics enjoy comparing Whittier's "The Proclamation" to James M. Whitfield's poem "Celebration of the Fourth Anniversary." The former was presented on the occasion of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and the latter on the Proclamation's 4th anniversary. The poem was originally read by Whitfield in conjunction with Ezra R. Johnson presenting his lecture in San Francisco's Platt's Hall to a crowd numbering over 2000. Both the speech and poem were so well received, Johnson and Whitfield decided to publish their works in a small volume that was printed at the office of The Elevator, the African American contemporary of the Jewish newspaper, The Bulletin.