What was Abraham Lincoln's view of slavery?

Answer 1

On March 4 1861, Abraham Lincoln was sworn in as President and in his inaugural address, he argued that the Constitution was a more perfect union than the earlier Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, but that the Articles had established the permanence of the Union in a binding contract. He called any secession "legally void". He stated he had no intent to invade Southern states, nor did he intend to end slavery where it existed, but that he would use force to maintain possession of federal property. His speech closed with a plea for restoration of the bonds of union.

Answer 2

Abraham Lincoln did not agree with the concept of slavery. He wasn't born "The Great Emancipator," though. He became The Great Emancipator, a major part of which included signing the Emancipation Proclamation. One interesting fact, though, is that he only freed the slaves in the Confederacy, or, as he calls them in the document, "the rebelling states." Over time, after the end of the Civil War, after his assassination, and after the states get reunited, it would be that slavery was now illegal in any state or territory that was included in the United States. (Still is, thank God.)Actually...Lincoln, oddly enough, apparently shared some of the same views of rebel leaders in the South. In his 1860 inaugural address, he said: "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." Two years later, President Lincoln wrote: "My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union (Letter to Horace Greeley, August 22, 1862)." And in 1858 Lincoln had written: "I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races. I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of Negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people. There is a physical difference between the white and black races, which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality." So, to say he wanted to free the slaves for moral reasons (The Great Emancipator), would be a mistake. In fact, Lincoln was not that different with his views than his contemporaries. Keeping in mind the culture of the 1860's, it seems that the act of freeing slaves in Confederate states was a strategic political move by a man trying his best to put an end to the slaughter of Americans, by Americans. The result of this shrewed political maneuvering to end a war, was the 13th amendment. Bottom line, when it comes to endorsing southern secession it is not enough to point out Lincoln's failures in his position on slavery. More important is whether one group may leave a larger group that it had been part of -- and in the process take along unwilling third parties. The seceding group definitely does not have that right. Putting it in straightforward terms, yes, a divorce (or, more broadly, the right of peaceful exit from a partnership) may not be denied to anyone unless -- and this is a very big "unless" -- those wanting to leave intend to take along hostages.

Seceding from the American union could perhaps be morally unobjectionable. It isn't that significant whether it is legally objectionable because, after all, slavery itself was legally unobjectionable, yet something had to be done about it. And to ask the slaves to wait until the rest of the people slowly undertook to change the Constitution seems obscene, but secession cannot be justified if it is combined with the evil of imposing the act on unwilling third parties, no matter what its ultimate motivation. Thus, however flawed Lincoln was, he was a good American.

Answer 3

For President Lincoln, secession was a threat to his position that he understood to be the duty of a US president, which was, among many things, to uphold the US Constitution and protect federal property. Lincoln also viewed secession as a prelude to anarchy, which therefore threatened democratic government and individual freedom. If secession was allowed, then any US state, for any reason, could simply decide to leave the US.

Answer 4

He thought slavery was wrong & needed to be stopped.

He did not like people dying.

Answer 5

Lincoln would use military force only when necessary.

Answer 6

He wanted the whole country to stay together as friends and in peace, but if he had to fight back, he would.

Answer 7

No. That's why he tried to defend Fort Sumter and called for volunteer troops.

Answer 8

He felt he had to do everything possible to keep the union together. It was that and nothing less for him.

Answer 9

he ate out your mom