How Did Lincoln's Inaugural Address

In 1860, the United States of America was split into two groups: the Union and the Confederacy. The Confederacy consisted of 11 southern states, all of which were pro-slavery. They believed that without slavery their economic structure would be destroyed, as it was at the base of their cotton infrastructure. On the other hand, the Union was anti-slavery and wanted to abolish it. When Abraham Lincoln was elected President, his main goal was to keep the United States together and would do everything in his power to keep it that way. Lincoln said in his inaugural address that “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so” (1860). While Abraham Lincoln was the face of emancipation in the United States of America, but it was not because of his sole actions that slavery was demolished.
McClellan led the Union army in intercepting Confederate General Robert E. Lee at Antietam Creek. This was “the bloodiest single day of combat in the entire war” (Newman and Schmalbach 273). Because of the actions McClellan and his army took, the Union was forced to retreat back into Virginia. As a result of Lee not being able to win a battle on Union soil, Britain remained uninvolved in the war. Confederate states were unable to “get what they so urgently needed - open recognition and aid from a foreign power” (Newman and Schmalbach 273). Because of this win, Abraham Lincoln was able to further the fight on slavery in the