How Did Abraham Lincoln A Abolitionist

Abraham Lincoln is widely regarded as one of the best Presidents ever to serve the American people. Supporters of Lincoln point to his ability to preserve the Union and the Emancipation Proclamation as support for their claim. However, a big misconception of Lincoln was that he was a lifelong abolitionist. Lincoln did think slavery was wrong, but if the Union was preserved, he was willing to tolerate slavery. Lincoln even admitted that the main purpose of the war was not to free the slaves but to keep the Union intact. The point is that Lincoln abolishing slavery was a welcome byproduct of preserving the Union, not the goal. Lincoln evolved his view on slavery throughout his lifetime. Throughout his life, Lincoln seems to have adapted his
When Abe was only 21 years old he went on flatboat voyage to New Orleans. Lincoln witnessed a slave auction, which formulated his first concrete view on slavery. This quote from Lincoln displays that view. “They saw a handsome mulatto girl being sold on the block, and the iron entered his soul; he swore that if he ever got a chance, he would hit slavery, and hit it hard.” (Hofstader 138) While the precise details of this account are fuzzy, Lincoln’s view on the issue is clear. But a few years later while part of the Illinois Legislature, Lincoln made no effort to address the slavery question. But if Lincoln took such a hard line stance on slavery, why wouldn’t he propose any legislation on the issue? The answer to that question lies in the explanation above that Lincoln adapted to his surroundings. While Lincoln received minimal education in his lifetime, he knew not to make a fool out of himself in public. “The prevailing attitude toward Negroes in Illinois was intensely hostile” (139) Lincoln recognizing this, would never make himself the advocate of unpopular reform movements. This means
If slaves are freed because of the war, it’s not my concern or intention. Lincoln had to walk a fine line when he framed the war to the northerners as displayed in this quote “a great section of conservative northern opinion was willing to fight for the Union but might refuse to support a war to free Negroes” (164) Many northerners through that if the southern states wanted to secede that they should be able to. In the Civil War the southerners were essentially fighting for their way of life; the ability to own slaves. The northerners weren’t fighting for their way of life but fighting to keep the Union intact. Lincoln in this quote displays his goal for the war “to bring back the South with slavery intact” (163) As the war dragged on, an increasingly large amount of northerners was questioning why they were fighting this war in the first place. In conclusion, Lincoln had to frame the war correctly or else the northerners wouldn’t fight and therefore the union wouldn’t be