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Abraham Lincoln and Civil War Analysis
Lincoln's views on slavery
Lincoln's views on slavery
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Recommended: Abraham Lincoln and Civil War Analysis
A common misconception regarding the ideals of President Abraham Lincoln is that many thought that the 16th President of the United States was a true abolitionist from the very beginning of the civil war, however that was not the case since the President was actually more concerned about keeping the Union intact rather than freeing slaves. The New York Times published a letter penned from Lincoln to Horace Greeley who was once editor-in-chief at The New York Tribune as well as a congressman and presidential candidate. This letter is of importance because Lincoln clearly states his intentions of the war to Greeley who may have been mistaken that Lincoln wanted to primarily free slaves. “My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery…If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that.” …show more content…
The president started to take notice of how effective runaway slaves were when it came to the military since slaves who fled their owners would often sign up to fight for the union. Following the Confederacy’s Defeat at the Battle of Antietam, Lincoln delivered the Emancipation Proclamation which sounded nice in theory, but actually proved to be more of symbol of what Lincoln’s new intentions where rather than something that can actually be used to free slaves since the confederacy did not abide by this proclamation because it was only applied to border states as well as land that was once controlled by the South but now controlled by the Union. After the first vote regarding the implementation of the 13th amendment described in the prompt, Lincoln has at this point made abolishing slavery just as big of a priority as preserving the
Lincoln was a very smart lawyer and politician. During his “House Divided” speech he asked the question, “Can we, as a nation, continue together permanently, forever, half slave, and half free?" When he first asked this question, America was slowly gaining the knowledge and realizing that as a nation, it could not possibly exist as half-slave and half-free. It was either one way or the other. “Slavery was unconstitutional and immoral, but not simply on a practical level.” (Greenfield, 2009) Slave states and free states had significantly different and incompatible interests. In 1858, when Lincoln made his “House Divided” speech, he made people think about this question with views if what the end result in America must be.
The American Civil War not only proved to be the country’s deadliest war but also precipitated one of the greatest constitutional crises in the history of the United States. President Lincoln is revered by many Americans today as a man of great moral principle who was responsible for both preventing the Union’s dissolution as well as helping to trigger the movement to abolish slavery. In retrospect, modern historians find it difficult to question the legitimacy of Lincoln’s actions as President. A more precise review of President Lincoln’s actions during the Civil War, however, reveals that many, if not the majority, of his actions were far from legitimate on constitutional and legal grounds. Moreover, his true political motives reveal his
At the time, the South depended on slavery to support their way of life. In fact, “to protect slavery the Confederate States of America would challenge the peaceful, lawful, orderly means of changing governments in the United States, even by resorting to war.” (635) Lincoln believed that slavery was morally wrong and realized that slavery was bitterly dividing the country. Not only was slavery dividing the nation, but slavery was also endangering the Union, hurting both black and white people and threatening the processes of government. At first, Lincoln’s goal was to save the Union in which “he would free none, some, or all the slaves to save that Union.” (634) However, Lincoln realized that “freeing the slaves and saving the Union were linked as one goal, not two optional goals.” (634) Therefore, Lincoln’s primary goal was to save the Union and in order to save the Union, Lincoln had to free the slaves. However, Paludan states that, “slave states understood this; that is why the seceded and why the Union needed saving.” (634) Lincoln’s presidential victory was the final sign to many Southerners that their position in the Union was
If Lincoln was really the Great Emancipator he would have freed the slaves the first chance he got, but he didn’t. An amendment that helps prove this is the Corwin Amendment. This Amendment stated that slavery laws can only be changed by the states (Doc. C). In Document D, Lincoln stated that, “...to the effect that the Federal Government shall never interfere with the domestic institutions of the States, including that of persons held to service.” This quote shows how Lincoln agreed with the Corwin Amendment, and by agreeing to this it proves that Lincoln’s main goal was to keep the nation together. If he was really the Great Emancipator he would have disagreed with this amendment and stated his true state of mind. Also according to Emancipation Proclamation it said, “I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free;” (Doc. H) This sentence from the Emancipation Proclamation talks about freeing the slaves, but if you go into detail you will realize that the only slaves he is freeing are the ones in the South, and since the South is another nation they won’t even listen. This also clearly shows how he wasn’t going to free the slaves in the border states. Also according to the Emancipation Proclamation he gave the South about 4 months to
Throughout much of my life I was a slave to the white man. I was, however, luckier than most. I was able to become a freeman, and have since dedicated my life to the abolition of slavery and oppression in this country. This oppression lives on because of the hypocritical nature in which this country's founding fathers, including you, outlined their independence. Many times throughout your most patriotic document, The Declaration of Independence, you contradict yourself and the ideas that are presented. It appears that the ideals you present are only for those with a white skin such as yours. All other people, for example the American Negro, are not even considered people in your white wigged world. We are only property to be bought and sold accordingly, with no regard for our families, friends, or personal beliefs. These are aspects of life that you and I both fought for, but are reserved only for you.
... addition to preserving the Union. By the end of the war, it had influenced citizens to accept the abolition for all slaves in both the North and South. The 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in the United States, passed on December 6, 1865.
. .’, concludes James Oakes’ book with the aftermath of the Civil War and Lincoln’s assassination. Oakes discussed the respect Douglass gathered for Lincoln over the years and the affect his assassination had on both himself and America as a whole. Oakes even brushed over Douglass’ relationship with Andrew Johnson, the president succeeding Lincoln. Analyzing his experience with the new president, it was safe to say that Andrew Johnson had no consideration as to what Douglass and Lincoln previously fought for. Johnson did not have the same political skills as Lincoln did, and he did not retain the same view for America that Lincoln did. It was obvious that Douglass held Lincoln at a higher standard than Andrew Johnson, stating that he was a “progressive man, a humane man, an honorable man, and at heart an anti-slavery man” (p. 269). Oakes even gave his own stance on Andrew Jackson, “It was a legacy that Andrew Johnson could ever match. When all of Lincoln’s attributes were taken into consideration - his ascent from the obscurity to greatness, his congenial temperament, his moral courage - it was easy for Douglass to imagine how much better things would be ‘had Mr. Lincoln been living today’.” (p. 262). It is hard to imagine the pre-war Douglass to have said something like that as opposed to an older, much more reserved Douglass. With the abolishment of slavery, so came much discrimination. Without
Then, once the Civil War began, he was merely trying to preserve what was left of an unstable union. The true “Emancipators” of slavery lie in the grass roots people of that time, the abolitionists, Frederick Douglas, and the slaves themselves. The slaves earned their freedom. Lincoln was merely a man who let the events of his era determine his policy. “I claim not to have controlled events but confess plainly that events controlled me.”
Abraham Lincoln’s Cooper Union Address and Benjamin Rush’s Address to the Inhabitants of the British Settlements in America on the Slavery of the Negroes in America, share a similar view: slavery needed to end and it needed to end gradually. Rush makes his point clear as he states “...”leave off importing slaves...let such of our countrymen as engage in the slave trade, be shunned as the greatest enemies to our country...and to entitle them to all the privileges of free born British subjects.” Lincoln also acknowledges how widespread it has become by stating towards the end of his speech “Wrong as we think slavery is, we can yet afford to let it alone, where it is, because that much is due to the necessity arising from its actual presence
Lincoln wished to destroy the South and instill it with ideas from the anti-slave North. Blacks would be free to work for themselves as freemen. The South took the Emancipation Proclamation as the Nation’s biggest atrocity committed on its own people in history. Some slave owning Northerners claimed it was unconstitutional and would lead to violent slave uprisings and the taking of white man’s jobs. This was an “act of justice” that needed to be signed and ratified (Chapter 14, pp. 447). Lincoln knew that this was an important moment in history when he said: “If my name ever goes into history, it was for this act” (Chapter 14, pp. 447). This is what Lincoln would be remembered for in the years to come. His name went down in history as the President
In August of 1862, Horace Greeley, the editor of the New York Tribune, published an open letter addressed to Lincoln. In this letter, Greeley portrayed his discontent with Lincoln’s lack of commitment regarding emancipation. In response, Lincoln wrote back a letter that presented the safety of the Union as his core motivation and argued that slavery was merely a tool to achieve this. He stated that his paramount objective was “to save the Union and [was] not either to save or destroy slavery.” However, Lincoln was not indifferent to slavery; Lincoln’s objective was to free the slaves. The roadblocks Lincoln faced in outright freeing the slaves were the Border States and northern pro-slavery advocates, as they were prominent backers of the Union
Abraham Lincoln is known as the President who helped to free the slaves, lead the Union to victory over the confederates in the American Civil War, preserve the union of the United States and modernize the economy. The Emancipation Proclamation, issued through Presidential constitutional authority on January 1st, 1863, declared that all slaves in the ten remaining slave states were to be liberated and remain liberated. The Emancipation Proclamation freed between three and four million slaves, however, since it was a Presidential constitutional authority and not though congress, the Emancipation Proclamation failed to free slaves in Border States like Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri. Essentially, states that were under Federal Government and loyal to the Union did not have their slaves liberated; Lincoln even stating “When it took effect in January 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation freed 3.1 million of the nation's 4 million slaves.” Some argue Lincoln issued this Proclamation in an attempt to satisfy the demands of Radical Republicans, members of a group within the Republican Party. Radical Republicans were a group of politicians who strongly...
Contrary to what today’s society believes about Lincoln, he was not a popular man with the South at this time. The South wanted to expand towards the West, but Lincoln created a geographical containment rule keeping slavery in the states it currently resided in. Despite his trying to rationalize with the South, Lincoln actually believed something different ”Lincoln claimed that he, like the Founding Fathers, saw slavery in the Old South as a regrettable reality whose expansion could and should be arrested, thereby putting it on the long and gradual road ”ultimate extinction” (216). He believed it to be “evil” thus “implying that free southerners were evil for defending it”(275). Lincoln wanted to wipe out slavery for good, and the South could sense his secret motives.
Lincoln declared that “all persons held as slaves” in areas in rebellion “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” Not only liberate slaves in the border slave states, but the President has purposely made the proclamation in all places in the South where the slaves were existed. While the Emancipation Proclamation was an important turning point in the war. It transformed the fight to preserve the nation into a battle for human freedom. According the history book “A People and a Nation”, the Emancipation Proclamation was legally an ambiguous document, but as a moral and political document it had great meaning. It was a delicate balancing act because it defined the war as a war against slavery, not the war from northern and southern people, and at the same time, it protected Lincoln’s position with conservatives, and there was no turning
Although this Emancipation Proclamation is more about convincing the European nations not to help the south because this was a war to end slavery, and less about freeing southern slaves, however, Lincoln had good intentions on it. Though he wasn't alive when the 13th amendment was ratified, he helped create it. Lincoln played a part in the creation of it. His feelings on slavery changed during the war. In the beginning, he just wanted to stop spreading it, but in the end, he knew that he had to get rid of it.