Abraham Lincoln Did Not Free the Slaves Essay Example

To this very day, many still believe that Abraham Lincoln, with his Emancipation Proclamation, serves as a revolutionary train that guided America in a forward direction to the abolishment of slavery. As dainty and “happily ever after” as such sounds, sadly this is not the case at all. Though Lincoln and many other Northerners opposed slavery, emancipation of the millions of enslaved blacks wasn’t always well accepted in the racist society of the North or the South. Northern blacks were typically more outspoken about the issues of slavery; however, this led to many being seen as merely stoking the fire that would lead to a civil war and secession of the South. Eventually secession did occur with the election of 1860 and Abraham Lincoln’s anti-slavery platform, but Lincoln didn’t immediately grant manumission of all the slaves. Instead, as years past and war weariness settled in, along with an already occurring self-liberating force by enslaved blacks, Lincoln passed the Emancipation Proclamation. This historical document has been morphed into being accepted as Lincoln’s greatest achievement and the freeing of slaves. When actually analyzing the contents of this document and already occurring self-liberation movements of this time, it is evident that Abraham Lincoln didn’t free the slaves.
1. Self-Liberation Movements
a. Motivation
i. Declaration from God ii. Civil War
1. Allowed the already self-liberation black movement to grow.
2. Believed that if North Won = End of Slavery
3. Believed that if South Won = Slavery everywhere
b. Ran towards Union Lines
i. Pilgrim Armies ii. Camped in areas where Union Soldiers occupied
1. “Freedom Fort”
2. Union-held Fortress Monroe
3. Hundreds left slavery and went here. iii. Left from Virginia and the Carolinas to Richmond iv. Left Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Missouri to the North
c. Self-made Emancipation proclamations
i. Many slaves made their own. ii. Inspiration from slave songs.
d. Became an