Was Abraham Lincoln A White Supremacist?
In this article by Lerone Bennett Jr., Abraham Lincoln is shown to be a white supremacist. He goes on to explain all the ways Lincoln did not have the intentions everyone thought he had. Furthermore, Lincoln has said in private and also in public that he was a white supremacist. He believed that as long as he was alive white and blacks should remain separated preferably by the Atlantic Ocean. Bennett believes it is his duty to prove what majority of the people think they know about Lincoln and expose the reality of the Emancipation Proclamation that gained him the title of helping free slaves. To prove his point he explains how Lincoln grew up in slave states and anti black environments. Growing up in these areas made him inevitable to not
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be racist. He was also fond of black face and black jokes. To be clear he was not against slavery he was against the expansion of it but not because of the suffering black, but the whites instead. When Lincoln lived in Illinois, black could not vote, testify against whites, attend private schools, and it was a crime for black to settle in the state.
Lincoln denounce slavery very slowly and carefully. Lincoln also spent 18 months trying to save slavery as well as, beginning his presidency saying he would not interfere with slavery. Not surprisingly, Lincoln was opposed to white and black getting married and blacks getting a citizenship. Lincoln was anti emancipation bit with the public’s pressure he could not ignore the problem. Sudden and general emancipation was not Lincoln's’ policy. When Lincoln was clear of duty, he refused to act. On several occasions he refused to take anti slavery action which was mandated by the congress and he sabotaged some anti slavery legislation by executive inaction. Lincoln did not want free black men in a country for white men. He was not feared by the emancipation but rather the result afterwards. Bennett also explains how Lincoln did not believe whites and blacks to be equal. Lincoln had an emancipation policy to rid America of all slaves and blacks. He tried to settle them in Haiti which failed. While Lincoln was trying to get rid of the slaves, Congress was forbidding officers to return fugitive
slaves. Responding to all the pressures put on him he issued an emancipation on September 22, 1862. The document only freed a couple of slaves close to none. When Lincoln “freed” the slaves it was evident that it was not an act from the heart. Witnesses say he was trembling and shaking while signing the document. The document did not even apply to slaves in the border states. The proclamation was issued to Lincoln some time. Reconstruction was going to for the whites, by the whites, of the whites. Soon blacks wanted to gain momentum in a movement. Douglas said,”In his interests, in his associations, in his habits of thoughts, and in his prejudices, he was a white man. He was preeminently the white man's president, entirely devoted to the welfare of the white men.” The monument in Washington DC has a black man looking oblivious to all that has happened. Furthermore, according to Bennett, the emancipation proclamation of January 1, 1863, was nothing but a propaganda and in fact did not free any slaves. Nonetheless, the Proclamation made genuine emancipation inevitable making Lincoln’s true intentions evident.
be racist. He was also fond of black face and black jokes. To be clear he was not against slavery he was against the expansion of it but not because of the suffering black, but the whites instead. When Lincoln lived in Illinois, black could not vote, testify against whites, attend private schools, and it was a crime for black to settle in the state.
Lincoln denounce slavery very slowly and carefully. Lincoln also spent 18 months trying to save slavery as well as, beginning his presidency saying he would not interfere with slavery. Not surprisingly, Lincoln was opposed to white and black getting married and blacks getting a citizenship. Lincoln was anti emancipation bit with the public’s pressure he could not ignore the problem. Sudden and general emancipation was not Lincoln's’ policy. When Lincoln was clear of duty, he refused to act. On several occasions he refused to take anti slavery action which was mandated by the congress and he sabotaged some anti slavery legislation by executive inaction. Lincoln did not want free black men in a country for white men. He was not feared by the emancipation but rather the result afterwards. Bennett also explains how Lincoln did not believe whites and blacks to be equal. Lincoln had an emancipation policy to rid America of all slaves and blacks. He tried to settle them in Haiti which failed. While Lincoln was trying to get rid of the slaves, Congress was forbidding officers to return fugitive
slaves. Responding to all the pressures put on him he issued an emancipation on September 22, 1862. The document only freed a couple of slaves close to none. When Lincoln “freed” the slaves it was evident that it was not an act from the heart. Witnesses say he was trembling and shaking while signing the document. The document did not even apply to slaves in the border states. The proclamation was issued to Lincoln some time. Reconstruction was going to for the whites, by the whites, of the whites. Soon blacks wanted to gain momentum in a movement. Douglas said,”In his interests, in his associations, in his habits of thoughts, and in his prejudices, he was a white man. He was preeminently the white man's president, entirely devoted to the welfare of the white men.” The monument in Washington DC has a black man looking oblivious to all that has happened. Furthermore, according to Bennett, the emancipation proclamation of January 1, 1863, was nothing but a propaganda and in fact did not free any slaves. Nonetheless, the Proclamation made genuine emancipation inevitable making Lincoln’s true intentions evident.