How Does Abraham Lincoln Relate To The Civil War
Abraham Lincoln Essay
Abraham Lincoln led our country through some of the toughest times it had to encounter. Although sometimes his direction was not clear, his ultimate goals were to get the United States through the Civil War and to end slavery. In order to achieve these results, President Lincoln’s arguments about slavery, the Constitution, and the Union had to adjust throughout the Civil War. Lincoln’s view of the purpose of the war was to save the Union because of the southern states seceding from the Union. However, the argument changed to the war being about slavery because of Fredrick Douglass’s speeches and the Confederates surrendering at Vicksburg. Before Abraham Lincoln became president, he had one goal in mind. He wanted …show more content…
to save the Union and bring the country back together. He also wanted to end slavery. The backdrop from Lincoln taking office was dissension about slavery and continuous threats about seceding from the Union.
John Brown, an abolitionist, thought it was his job sent by God to end slavery. In October 1859, he attacked the federal armory and arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. He was captured and later hung for murder and treason. In December 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union. From January to February 1861, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas followed South Carolina’s lead and also seceded from the Union. When Abraham Lincoln delivered his first inauguration speech, he needed to unify the country and at the same time explain his stance on slavery and how it connected to the war and the Union. During this speech President Lincoln explained, “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it exists.” President Lincoln needed to table his personal views about slavery so he could appeal to all of the states with the ultimate goal of saving the Union. Since many southern states were seceding from the Union, President Lincoln tried to reach out to the southern states and gain their acceptance by stating that he would not …show more content…
interfere with slavery where it existed. Lincoln also spoke compellingly about why he thought it would be a bad idea for the country to be divided. Specifically, President Lincoln commented that, “a husband and wife may be divorced and go out of the presence and beyond the reach of each other, but the different parts of our country cannot do this.” In other words, the states have a proximity to each other, need to rely on each other and will need to be united against others and for the benefit of each other. Our country is connected. We cannot split into two without harm to both parts. At the end of the speech, Lincoln made it clear that his utmost goal was to save the Union. He concluded, “I therefore consider that in view of the Constitution and the laws, the union is unbroken, and to the extent of my ability, I shall take care, as the Constitution itself expressly enjoins upon me, that the laws of the Union be faithfully executed in all the States.” He appeared to acknowledge that with the current state of the Constitution, the states had the power to decide what they wanted regarding slavery and accordingly, his focus must be on his authority and leadership to save the Union. He appeared to sacrifice his own views on slavery for the good of keeping the country together. President Lincoln was impacted by the southern states that had seceded and even more by his fear that losing additional states would be extremely harmful to our country.
After President Lincoln’s first inauguration speech, his view of the war and slavery began to change because of Fredrick Douglass’s How to End the War and Nemesis speeches. In May 1861, Douglass tried to convince Lincoln that slavery must end and Lincoln must use his leadership and focus for that cause. Douglas argued that, “now is the time to change the cry of vengeance long sent up from tasked and toiling bondman, into a grateful prayer for peace and safety of the government.” Douglass pleaded with President Lincoln to end slavery so that the country could begin to unite as one. He emphasized that with slavery still an issue of contention between the north and the south, Lincoln’s goal of a unified country never would be achieved. Douglass believed that the division over slavery could not be ignored if the union was to be saved. In his Nemesis speech, Douglass argued that ending slavery would allow the free blacks help the Union win the war. Douglass emphasized that “the slaves and free colored people [should] be called into service, and formed into a liberating army, to march into the South and raise the banner of Emancipation among the slaves.” Douglass wanted Lincoln to realize the importance of emancipation. Both of Douglass’s speeches influenced President Lincoln to change his views on the connection between slavery and unity. He helped Lincoln understand that ending slavery was essential to unify the country. When Lincoln ran for senate, he insisted on the war being about the Union. However, in his Address on Colonization to a Deputation of Negroes, Lincoln said, “I would endeavor to have you made equals, and have the best assurance that you should be the equals of the best.” Lincoln’s primary goal is to save the union. He has said he wants equality for blacks, but has realized that it cannot happen at that moment because of the state of the country. Lincoln has stated that he personally would like slavery to end, but politically he does not think it could be accomplished. On September 22, 1862, Lincoln made one of his most important decisions as a president.
He used his title as commander in chief to write the Emancipation Proclamation. This document was influenced by the Battle of Antietam. This battle had many losses for both the North and the South. Lincoln decided that he had to end the madness, even if it meant going against what he previously stated about slavery. In this speech Lincoln stated, “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; and that the Executive government of the United States, including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons.” With this announcement, President Lincoln made it very clear that he now believed that the war was about slavery and that ending slavery was essential to unity. Lincoln sent the military into Confederate territory to end slavery. Even though, Lincoln was focused on the war being about the Union in the past, and did not focus on slavery, his views changed over time and realized that slavery must be
stopped. Through the Emancipation Proclamation, President Lincoln declared that slavery would not be a part of our country. On July 4, 1862, the confederates surrendered the town of Vicksburg to Ulysses S. Grant. After the surrender, President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863, saying the nation’s fundamental goal is that all men are created equal. Lincoln said, “the brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract.” Lincoln’s emphasis now was on a fresh start for our country. He believed that the soldiers struggled to recreate the country and the country needed to take advantage of this opportunity. He committed to getting rid of slavery. On January 31, 1865, Congress officially ended slavery with the thirteenth amendment. The thirteenth amendment provides that, “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” After many years, slavery finally was ended. Lincoln now believed that the thirteenth amendment, which ended slavery and gave him power to tell the states it must end, would help to create a unified country that had been broken for many years. President Lincoln finally agreed that the best way for the country to unite was without slavery, contradicting the statements he made from the start of his senate race to Post First Inauguration. Lincoln’s view on the purpose of the Civil War changed from not worrying about the state of slavery in this country to realizing that ending slavery would help unite the Union. Fredrick Douglass’s speeches and the surrender at Vicksburg helped Lincoln become more knowledgeable about the importance of ending slavery if unity was the ultimate goal. Abraham Lincoln truly cared about the Union more than anything else. Even though he personally wanted slavery to end from the beginning, he initially had to put his personal views aside, so that he could focus on the Union. As the war went on, he realized that ending slavery was imperative to saving the Union. Fredrick Douglass significantly influenced the evolution of Lincoln’s beliefs about the relationship between slavery, the Constitution, and the Union, along with the surrender at Vicksburg.
Abraham Lincoln led our country through some of the toughest times it had to encounter. Although sometimes his direction was not clear, his ultimate goals were to get the United States through the Civil War and to end slavery. In order to achieve these results, President Lincoln’s arguments about slavery, the Constitution, and the Union had to adjust throughout the Civil War. Lincoln’s view of the purpose of the war was to save the Union because of the southern states seceding from the Union. However, the argument changed to the war being about slavery because of Fredrick Douglass’s speeches and the Confederates surrendering at Vicksburg. Before Abraham Lincoln became president, he had one goal in mind. He wanted …show more content…
to save the Union and bring the country back together. He also wanted to end slavery. The backdrop from Lincoln taking office was dissension about slavery and continuous threats about seceding from the Union.
John Brown, an abolitionist, thought it was his job sent by God to end slavery. In October 1859, he attacked the federal armory and arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. He was captured and later hung for murder and treason. In December 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union. From January to February 1861, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas followed South Carolina’s lead and also seceded from the Union. When Abraham Lincoln delivered his first inauguration speech, he needed to unify the country and at the same time explain his stance on slavery and how it connected to the war and the Union. During this speech President Lincoln explained, “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it exists.” President Lincoln needed to table his personal views about slavery so he could appeal to all of the states with the ultimate goal of saving the Union. Since many southern states were seceding from the Union, President Lincoln tried to reach out to the southern states and gain their acceptance by stating that he would not …show more content…
interfere with slavery where it existed. Lincoln also spoke compellingly about why he thought it would be a bad idea for the country to be divided. Specifically, President Lincoln commented that, “a husband and wife may be divorced and go out of the presence and beyond the reach of each other, but the different parts of our country cannot do this.” In other words, the states have a proximity to each other, need to rely on each other and will need to be united against others and for the benefit of each other. Our country is connected. We cannot split into two without harm to both parts. At the end of the speech, Lincoln made it clear that his utmost goal was to save the Union. He concluded, “I therefore consider that in view of the Constitution and the laws, the union is unbroken, and to the extent of my ability, I shall take care, as the Constitution itself expressly enjoins upon me, that the laws of the Union be faithfully executed in all the States.” He appeared to acknowledge that with the current state of the Constitution, the states had the power to decide what they wanted regarding slavery and accordingly, his focus must be on his authority and leadership to save the Union. He appeared to sacrifice his own views on slavery for the good of keeping the country together. President Lincoln was impacted by the southern states that had seceded and even more by his fear that losing additional states would be extremely harmful to our country.
After President Lincoln’s first inauguration speech, his view of the war and slavery began to change because of Fredrick Douglass’s How to End the War and Nemesis speeches. In May 1861, Douglass tried to convince Lincoln that slavery must end and Lincoln must use his leadership and focus for that cause. Douglas argued that, “now is the time to change the cry of vengeance long sent up from tasked and toiling bondman, into a grateful prayer for peace and safety of the government.” Douglass pleaded with President Lincoln to end slavery so that the country could begin to unite as one. He emphasized that with slavery still an issue of contention between the north and the south, Lincoln’s goal of a unified country never would be achieved. Douglass believed that the division over slavery could not be ignored if the union was to be saved. In his Nemesis speech, Douglass argued that ending slavery would allow the free blacks help the Union win the war. Douglass emphasized that “the slaves and free colored people [should] be called into service, and formed into a liberating army, to march into the South and raise the banner of Emancipation among the slaves.” Douglass wanted Lincoln to realize the importance of emancipation. Both of Douglass’s speeches influenced President Lincoln to change his views on the connection between slavery and unity. He helped Lincoln understand that ending slavery was essential to unify the country. When Lincoln ran for senate, he insisted on the war being about the Union. However, in his Address on Colonization to a Deputation of Negroes, Lincoln said, “I would endeavor to have you made equals, and have the best assurance that you should be the equals of the best.” Lincoln’s primary goal is to save the union. He has said he wants equality for blacks, but has realized that it cannot happen at that moment because of the state of the country. Lincoln has stated that he personally would like slavery to end, but politically he does not think it could be accomplished. On September 22, 1862, Lincoln made one of his most important decisions as a president.
He used his title as commander in chief to write the Emancipation Proclamation. This document was influenced by the Battle of Antietam. This battle had many losses for both the North and the South. Lincoln decided that he had to end the madness, even if it meant going against what he previously stated about slavery. In this speech Lincoln stated, “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; and that the Executive government of the United States, including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons.” With this announcement, President Lincoln made it very clear that he now believed that the war was about slavery and that ending slavery was essential to unity. Lincoln sent the military into Confederate territory to end slavery. Even though, Lincoln was focused on the war being about the Union in the past, and did not focus on slavery, his views changed over time and realized that slavery must be
stopped. Through the Emancipation Proclamation, President Lincoln declared that slavery would not be a part of our country. On July 4, 1862, the confederates surrendered the town of Vicksburg to Ulysses S. Grant. After the surrender, President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863, saying the nation’s fundamental goal is that all men are created equal. Lincoln said, “the brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract.” Lincoln’s emphasis now was on a fresh start for our country. He believed that the soldiers struggled to recreate the country and the country needed to take advantage of this opportunity. He committed to getting rid of slavery. On January 31, 1865, Congress officially ended slavery with the thirteenth amendment. The thirteenth amendment provides that, “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” After many years, slavery finally was ended. Lincoln now believed that the thirteenth amendment, which ended slavery and gave him power to tell the states it must end, would help to create a unified country that had been broken for many years. President Lincoln finally agreed that the best way for the country to unite was without slavery, contradicting the statements he made from the start of his senate race to Post First Inauguration. Lincoln’s view on the purpose of the Civil War changed from not worrying about the state of slavery in this country to realizing that ending slavery would help unite the Union. Fredrick Douglass’s speeches and the surrender at Vicksburg helped Lincoln become more knowledgeable about the importance of ending slavery if unity was the ultimate goal. Abraham Lincoln truly cared about the Union more than anything else. Even though he personally wanted slavery to end from the beginning, he initially had to put his personal views aside, so that he could focus on the Union. As the war went on, he realized that ending slavery was imperative to saving the Union. Fredrick Douglass significantly influenced the evolution of Lincoln’s beliefs about the relationship between slavery, the Constitution, and the Union, along with the surrender at Vicksburg.