Abraham Lincoln

Dear Members of the Commission, This is a letter to you concerning the statue that should be given privileged status as the first statue the visitors will see upon entering The Emancipation Proclamation Museum in Washington, D. C. The statue that best conveys the meaning of emancipation (“freeing someone from control of another”) is: Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln was most important in the making of the emancipation. Many say that Abraham Lincoln did not help at all and the slaves would have been freed sooner, but that is not completely true. Lincoln was most important in freeing the slaves because he was a real leader and decision maker. “Lincoln’s refusal to compromise on the expansion of slavery or on Fort Sumter proved decisive.” (According to James McPherson, from Drawn from the Sword). If someone else were President and people were against you, would they have been convinced to compromise? Without having someone strong-willed at the leader of the Union the Emancipation would not have been created and the wars wouldn’t have been fought, at least not for slavery. Like Lincoln said, “No human power can subdue this rebellion without using the Emancipation lever as I have done,” “Slaves did play an active part in achieving their own freedom and, for that matter, in preserving the Union” and “They too played a part in determining their own destiny.” (James McPherson, from Drawn from the Sword). Yes, they played a part, but they could not have done it alone. They could not have possibly demanded anything like the Thirteenth Amendment or Emancipation Proclamation. The slaves could not convince their masters for freedom, let alone any of the people in the south. It would have been nearly impossible. Repeating this again, without Lincoln standing up for what he believed in, nothing would have happened. Not the War, not the Proclamation, nor the amendment. Only Lincoln could have changed the future of slaves and the future of the country. “The