In order to understand Abraham Lincoln’s position on slavery I feel we need to have a little background on Abraham Lincoln the man. Abraham Lincoln was born and raised in Kentucky on February 12, 1809. Lincoln’s family was of the Baptist faith and had strict moral values as it pertained to alcohol, dancing, and slavery. Living in a state that condoned slavery, Lincoln witnessed the slavery first hand. Lincoln and his family decided to move to Indiana, a slavery free state. This move was said to be because of a discrepancy in the land title, but it was later revealed that it was partially due to slavery. I believe that his dislike of Slavery was instilled in him, not only by his parents but the horrible things he had seen.
I believe that Lincoln Expressed his views on slavery best in a letter he wrote to his friend and slave owner Joshua speed. In this letter Lincoln wrote “You know I dislike slavery; and you fully admit the abstract wrong of it. I also acknowledge your rights and my obligations, under the constitution, in regard to your slaves. I confess, I hate to see the poor creatures hunted down, and caught, and carried back to their stripes, and unrewarded toils; but I bite my lip and keep quiet.” This Passage explains his dislike of slavery, but it also expresses his understanding of the rights given by the constitution. Lincoln didn’t believe in slavery, but understood enough to allow that the southern states should be able to keep their slaves for mostly economic reasons. He didn’t want to see slavery extended to other states.
The Essay on Slavery and Civil War Slaves
?Everyone knows about president Lincoln and the emancipation proclamation. How the north won the civil war and slavery was abolished. It is a nice thought. But it was not that easy. After the civil war slaves across the United States were granted their freedom. Being granted freedom and being free were two different things, many slaves would learn this the hard way. Freedmen and women were now on ...
During the Civil War Civil War Lincoln had to deal with disagreeing pressures and politicians on the topic of slavery. During the war, in 1863, Lincoln issued one of the greatest documents in this country’s history, the Emancipation Proclamation to free all slaves in the South. Prior to the emancipation Lincoln backed a plan to remove slaves to a federally sponsored colony in Central America. I feel that the biggest thing that Abraham Lincoln did was give the slaves hope.
References
Abraham Lincoln. (n.d.).
In Sparticus Educational. Retrieved September 30, 2012, from www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAlincoln.htm
Lincoln, A. (1855, August 24).
Letter to Joshua Speed. In Abraham Lincoln Online. Retrieved September 30, 2012, from http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/speed.htm
