Lincoln and His Stand on Slavery Essays

Submitted By jayjay661
Words: 680
Pages: 3
Open Document
Lincoln and his stand on slavery
Abraham Lincoln strongly voiced his opinion against slavery multiple times. He believed that America would never be able to reach its full potential and be able to fill its purpose. The purpose of fighting against the British was to give the American people the right to be free to be who they want to be and do what they want to within reason. After reading the Lincoln – Douglas debate, reading the chapter that talked about Lincoln and his opinion on slavery and also through common knowledge, I have come to realize how much he opposed slavery. Although I believe that he was afraid to really tell the people of America how much he hated the whole aspect of slavery. One of the main concerns of Abraham Lincoln was to keep the Union intact and he said, “ I should be exceedingly glad to know that there would never be another slave state admitted into the union;” This clearly shows that he was willing to go to any extent to make sure that the Union stayed one. (Document, paragraph 2) Also, going back to the statement I made about his opinion on how he felt that if the slaves wouldn’t be freed, this country wouldn’t be serving its purpose. In his famous “House Divided” speech, he quoted the bible, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” He also predicted, “the American society, cannot endure permanently half slave and half free…It will become all one thing, or all the other.” This clearly shows how he felt about slavery and how being divided up, they could never be a strong nation. (Textbook, page 412) Another argument that Abraham Lincoln made against Douglas was by attacking him and labeling him as a racist. Abraham Lincoln said that the reason why he thought it was a good idea to free the slaves was not for equal political rights but rather for economic opportunity. In my opinion, this was Lincoln’s way of being a good politician and getting the “business” people on his side. (Textbook, page 412) Abraham Lincoln was definitely a reasonable man. He did not say he would abolish slavery right away rather give people time to make adjustments. He said that the abolishment of slavery would happen gradually, that qualified voters would have a right to make the decision by voting and also slave owners that are not willing to let go off their slaves would be compensated in some way. (Debate, paragraph 3) I also believe that Abraham Lincoln’s decision about abolishing slavery had a lot to do with his childhood. Growing up, he was
Show More

Related Documents: Lincoln and His Stand on Slavery Essays

Abraham Lincoln Research Paper

Abraham Lincoln as an Artist What is an artist? Can only certain people be considered as artists? Are you an artist? An artist is a person who is exceptionally skilled at something. It could be anyone with great leadership, or one who had an extraordinary impact on the world. An artist is not just anybody who can paint abstract figures on an open canvas. Abraham Lincoln was an artist because of his astounding leadership and view of the world that changed everyone’s perspective. First, Abraham…

Words 565 - Pages 3

Abraham Lincoln And Frederick Douglass: The Almighty Heroes

Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass; the Almighty Heroes The attributes of a hero that define not only Abraham Lincoln, but also Frederick Douglass as heroic are their willingness to sacrifice and their bold courage to stand for what is right. To start, Abraham Lincoln along with Frederick Douglass manifested the characteristic of sacrifice. Lincoln endangered and eventually ended his life by abolishing slavery, a monumental decision that several disagreed with, for the welfare of everyone. “He…

Words 393 - Pages 2

How Did Lincoln Changed America

Abraham Lincoln rose to the challenge of conquering social standards and he ultimately changed America for the better. Our courageous leader had goals not only to end slavery, but to restore the Union and expand the United States. Abe Lincoln faced many difficult obstacles throughout his presidency, but overcame these difficulties with superior leadership and bravery. He demonstrated qualities of a true leader with his decisive decision making, steadfast perseverance and compassionate character…

Words 759 - Pages 4

Who Is Abraham Lincoln An Abolitionist

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, is regarded as one of the greatest abolitionists due to his impact on the abolitionist movement and his impact on the United States. According to Britannica, in 1863, Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation which made all forms of slavery illegal. This freed all slaves and was a huge success. In addition, he also collapsed the Confederate army and rejoined America. Despite the challenges he faced, the story of Abraham Lincoln and his work…

Words 568 - Pages 3

Analysis of Lincoln's First Inaugural Address Essay

Inaugural Address When Abraham Lincoln won the presidency in 1860 the Union was divided. He accepted his presidential duties knowing that he was working with a nation that no longer remained united. Seven of the southern states had already seceded from the Union and were beginning to refer to themselves as the Confederates. What he had now were free states and slave states. When Lincoln gave his Inaugural Address he attempted to do so in a way that would not dissuade his chances of gaining support in…

Words 1394 - Pages 6

Abraham Lincoln A House Divided Analysis

deny freedom to others deserve it for themselves.”- Abraham Lincoln. Americans views on freedom are accorded to the text we read. The two unit texts in my essay are “A House Divided” and “Gettysburg Address” both by Abraham Lincoln. What happened was that the north didn't want slavery, but the south did. The South thought that slavery was okay so they didn’t have to do the hard work like plowing therefore the North thought that slavery was unfair. The civil war changed Americans and their ideas…

Words 406 - Pages 2

Dred Scott Essay

Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas debates were mainly focused on slavery versus free labor, popular sovereignty, and the legal and political status of black Americans. Lincoln criticized Douglas for his support of popular sovereignty and the Kansas-Nebraska Act, while Douglas accused Lincoln of racial equality and disruption of the Union. Douglas accused Lincoln of being too radical on the slavery question, a charge that Lincoln struggled to deny. Lincoln appeared stronger, putting Douglas on…

Words 764 - Pages 4

Housed Divided Lincoln Analysis

Abraham Lincoln delivers the Housed Divided speech on June 16, 1858. The Republican Party nominated Lincoln for U.S. senator. He was running against Stephen A. Douglas, which was nominated by the Democratic Party. The Housed Divided is a campaign speech that addresses the distillation of the issue of slavery and the direction in which the Union was heading. Lincoln’s friends knew the content of his speech and told Lincoln that the Housed Divided speech was too radical due to the use of biblical phrases…

Words 929 - Pages 4

Essay on Lincoln's Efforts to Preserve the Union

political policies from 1861 to 1865 contribute to the preservation of the Union? Abraham Lincoln won the election of 1860. As a president of the United States, Lincoln’s goal was to keep the Union together. The problem of slavery and the secession by the South are mainly the two issues that lead to the dissolve of the Union, in which Lincoln put all his efforts to deal with during his presidency. “He believes this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. He does…

Words 1383 - Pages 6

Comparing Florida Readers Essay

help and stand up for people just like us, we choose hate and belittlement. Luckily, some adept people have devoted their lives to the fight for change. Self-motivation causes one to strive to make the world a better place for the people around them. There are great examples of this characteristic in around us. There are three examples we read whereas people stood up for human rights: Flowers for Algernon, Harriet Tubman: Conductor of the Underground Railroad, and The Mysterious Mr. Lincoln. The first…

Words 885 - Pages 4