Why Was Abraham Lincoln Called A Great Emancipator

Abraham Lincoln was not pursuing the right course of action when he signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. It is indicated that Lincoln had second guesses regarding his move through signing the deal to end slavery. This is indicated by the fact that Abraham Lincoln was considering convincing Jefferson Davis who, at the time, was committed to freeing the southern states. His dedication is part of the reason why Lincoln’s title of “great emancipator” has meaning. Since then, Abraham has been associated with having played a key role in ending slavery in America. Even though Lincoln is associated with ending slavery, it is said that he was more opposed to the idea of the disintegration of the Union and if he had a chance to select between support for the union and ending slavery, he would have opted for the Union as his choice. The idea that Lincoln would have chosen to be in the same camp with Jefferson is a clear testimony that his signing the Emancipation Proclamation was not the best action (Carrington 570).

Since Lincoln started to show willingness in renouncing the emancipation, the quest for ending slavery brought challenges.

On the other hand, Davis reluctance in giving up southern independence played a significant role in establishing a basis for slave trade abolition. Other reasons that oppose the signing of Emancipation Proclamation include Abraham’s close associates who considered the move as arguable, since it was not in his position to abolish slave trade without adequately compensating the citizens. Abraham Lincoln seemed to have a well-thought-out decision before he signed the Emancipation Proclamation because the bill motivated the black in the North to win the

war.
Emancipation Proclamation was only a political policy aimed at forcing the hand of those states that had seceded from the Union of the states of America. The signing of the Emancipation Proclamation did not affect the section which had already come under the control of the Northerners. The deal that was proposed was highly dependent on the victory of the United States military. What Abraham Lincoln had intended for the bill is likely to be what transpired after he signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Its purpose is evident from the impact of the gesture. Emancipation Proclamation managed to capture many individuals' attention which played a vital role in changing the outcome of the war. The Emancipation Proclamation succeeded in recruiting over 200,000 black soldiers who participated in the battle for the Union and for their freedom. Abraham Lincoln might have known the impact the Emancipation Proclamation was to have in both political and military realms.
Various scholars also support this analogy; such as, Allen Guelzlo who suggests that President Abraham Lincoln was committed to ending slavery from the very day he took an oath of office. Contrary to the idea of Lincoln supporting the end of slavery, Gary Gallagher suggests that the President was as committed to the Union as he was opposed to slavery. Some scholars are convinced that President Abraham’s action to sign the Emancipation Proclamation was guided from a policy point of view as the war continued. This can be attested by the mere fact that during his second inauguration, he reaffirmed the citizens of his commitment to the Union. Slavery had been in existent in Northern America for a long time, and the reason they were led to the war was secession.
This implies that Lincoln would not have had the idea of abolishing slavery since it could not be achieved without reunification. Lincoln second thoughts about the Emancipation Proclamation can be explained through the perception of observers and those of the actors. The actors, in this case, include Abraham who had more than one solution to the problem while the observer’s objective was to acknowledge the alternatives and to dismiss them all together based on their understanding (Schwartz 593). During the war, Davis had managed to convince the southerners that their problems were as a result of the actions of the President since he played a significant role in the Confederate government at the time of the war. Davis faced no opposition for most of the war. After elections the Confederate was primarily associated with secessionist which later began having anti-secessionist movements which contributed in ending his presidential bid.
The lack of Davis’s capacity to end conflicts between the states and nationalism influenced his outcome in the general election. The spirit of patriotism that Jefferson Davis promoted was initially an idea based on the founders and relied on the southern social economic and cultural practices. Jefferson was considered as a war president because he came out strongly in support of the south and their activities rather than show commitment to working with other states. Had Jefferson had the interests of other states, he would have been considered since he had support from the southerners who would have rallied behind him if he had shelved his ambitions and instead supported Abraham. Some scholars argue that Jefferson Davis was more committed to his struggle for independence than the president was in ending slavery.
Much is discussed about Lincoln’s negative thoughts about Emancipation Proclamation that is known about what led to his conclusion to support the ending of slavery. Lincoln’s ambition to end slavery changed from time to time during the war period. His quest for the Union remained stronger which led to the conclusion that he personally disliked the idea of slavery. Lincoln had the will in him to end slavery since he held meetings with Committee of colored Men where he advised them to relocate to Central America or Liberia because different races were not going to live amongst themselves. Also, Lincoln wrote several letters where he indicated that his position was centered on the Union whether it was dependent on freeing the slaves or otherwise (Willis, Deborah, and Barbara 32).
Before the Emancipation Proclamation, Abraham was not preoccupied with the idea of slavery. However, in his moral capacity, he was determined to address the issue even if it meant freeing all the slaves and asking them to leave the country. Lincoln is also perceived to have been justified in his actions to end slavery when addressing his supporters. Abraham told his followers that he had consulted and that his actions were motivated by a sense of responsibility before he assured them that he had made no mistake. Critics are opposed to Lincoln address to his supporters terming his words of a man who is not confident in his quest to abolishing slavery.
To imply that he trusted in God that he had made no mistake testifies to the fact that Lincoln was second-guessing his decision to end slavery. Lincoln cannot be said to have disregarded the struggle for the Union to that of Emancipation Proclamation since he secured the Union territory without any regard for slavery. Abraham's ambition for the Union is evidenced when he commanded that elections be held before January to allow North Carolina to govern itself as it was featured in the constitution. His action demonstrates that he wanted the states in the Union with the slaves.
Additionally, Lincoln becomes more concerned about his decision to abolish slave trade because his actions were going to be challenged at the Supreme Court (Calabresi 61). Lincoln used his powers since he saw it as an essential means to achieve a necessary end. The country would not have supported him had the Supreme Court upheld his decision since the state would be seen as a dictatorship. The reason Lincoln went ahead with his Emancipation Proclamation is that he understood that things would go back to normalcy after the war. Lincoln’s push for the Emancipation Proclamation was not the right course of action since a year before Lincoln had doubts of extending the slavery for another 37 years.
His actions change the perception of the title he had as an emancipator. This is because someone who has a personal ambition to abolish slavery would not subject the slaves to a period of 37 years yet his Presidential term was only limited to a maximum of two terms. Lincoln, however, promises that after the signing that he would not have rescinded the document and was committed to addressing issues that would arise as a result of his decision. Even though he could not alter his decision on emancipation, Lincoln offered to give southern leaders the deal he had given them only if they would move on as if nothing else had taken place. Lincoln believed in the quest for emancipation since he wanted the states to adopt systems of apprenticeships for the blacks which were a step in realizing emancipation as the end objective.
In sending letters to pro supporters of the Union, Abraham Lincoln was reaching his objective. His objective was to assure them that there was no other agenda after the war since everything would go back to what used to be before the war. One cannot conclude with utmost certainty whether the decision to sign the Emancipation Proclamation was the right course of action or not. This is because his moves were dependent on the circumstances at the time. Besides, he reaffirms the citizen during his second inauguration that he is committed against secessionists who were threatening the Union. However, it can be concluded that Abraham had the intention to restore the union at the same time end slavery. It seems that politics were surrounding the issues made it look like he was against the Union.