Eleanor Finch
Abraham Lincoln was morally opposed to slavery and politically opposed to its expansion. However, he believed that the federal government was prevented by the Constitution from abolishing slavery in states where it already existed. Lincoln initially thought that only a constitutional amendment could end slavery, but he later realized that emancipation through executive action was legally justifiable. Lincoln's views on emancipation and social and political equality for African Americans evolved over the course of his presidency, and he played an important role in the passage of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in the United States.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Lincoln's personal views on slavery | Morally opposed to slavery |
| Lincoln's political views on slavery | Opposed to the expansion of slavery into territories |
| Lincoln's plan for slavery | Halt the spread of slavery and offer monetary compensation to slave owners in states that agreed to gradually end slavery |
| Lincoln's position on social and political equality for African Americans | Evolved over the course of his presidency |
| Lincoln's views on the Constitution and slavery | The Constitution did not explicitly mention slavery but included clauses protecting the institution |
| Lincoln's views on emancipation | Favored a system of gradual emancipation |
| Lincoln's actions towards emancipation | Lobbied hard for the 13th Amendment to pass |
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What You'll Learn
Lincoln's personal opposition to slavery
Abraham Lincoln's stance on slavery in the United States is one of the most discussed aspects of his life. Lincoln frequently expressed his moral opposition to slavery in public and private. "I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong, I can not remember when I did not so think and feel".
Lincoln was morally opposed to slavery and politically opposed to any expansion of it. In his Peoria speech on October 16, 1854, Lincoln declared his opposition to slavery, which he repeated as he sought the presidency. Speaking in his Kentucky accent, he said that the Kansas-Nebraska Act's "declared indifference, but as I must think, covert real zeal for the spread of slavery, I cannot but hate. I hate it because of the monstrous injustice of slavery itself".
Lincoln's opposition to slavery was further demonstrated in his efforts to amend the Constitution to prohibit slavery throughout the nation. In his reply to the Committee Notifying Lincoln of his renomination on June 9, 1864, he stated, "I approve the declaration in favor of so amending the Constitution as to prohibit slavery throughout the nation". Lincoln also signed several ceremonial copies of the resolution produced in honor of the occasion, even though he was not legally required to do so.
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The Constitution's protection of slavery
Abraham Lincoln was personally opposed to slavery, but he believed that the Constitution did not confer upon him an unrestricted right to act upon this judgment. Lincoln initially believed that only a constitutional amendment could end slavery, and he lobbied hard for this amendment to pass. Lincoln's plan was to halt the spread of slavery and offer monetary compensation to slave owners in states that agreed to gradually end the practice.
The Constitution's biggest flaw was in protecting the institution of slavery. Many constitutional provisions did this. Article 1, Section 9, prohibited Congress from banning the importation of slaves until 1808, and Article 5 prohibited this from being amended. Article 1, Section 2, the Three-Fifths Clause, provided that for purposes of representation in Congress, enslaved black people in a state would be counted as three-fifths of the number of white inhabitants of that state. This gave the South extra representation in the House of Representatives and extra votes in the Electoral College. Thomas Jefferson would have lost the election of 1800 if not for the Three-Fifths Compromise. The Constitution also gave the federal government the power to put down domestic rebellions, including slave insurrections. Article 4, Section 2, contains the Fugitive Slave Clause, which required that an escaped slave be returned to their owner.
The framers of the Constitution consciously avoided using the word "slave", but they included several provisions that protected slavery. They believed that concessions on slavery were the price for the support of southern delegates for a strong central government. They were convinced that if the Constitution restricted the slave trade, South Carolina and Georgia would refuse to join the Union. By sidestepping the slavery issue, the framers laid the foundation for tragic future events and left the seeds for future conflict.
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Lincoln's support for gradual emancipation
Abraham Lincoln was morally and politically opposed to slavery and its expansion. Lincoln believed that slavery was an implied right in the Constitution, and that only a constitutional amendment could end it. Lincoln's plan was to halt the expansion of slavery and offer monetary compensation to slave owners in states that agreed to gradually end the practice. He was considered a moderate within the Republican Party, taking the position that slavery should be put on a course of "ultimate extinction" with the help of the federal government.
Lincoln's position on slavery evolved throughout his political career. As an attorney, he felt bound by the law and believed that only a constitutional amendment could end slavery. However, as president, he slowly came to realize that emancipation through executive action was legally justifiable. Lincoln understood that emancipation was a war-winning strategy, and he exploited a loophole in the Constitution, taking advantage of the power bestowed upon the Commander-in-Chief.
Lincoln lobbied hard for the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, which brought an end to legal slavery in the United States. He also signed several ceremonial copies of the resolution, signalling the importance he placed on the amendment. Lincoln's support for gradual emancipation was not always effective, and his appeals to border states to adopt compensated emancipation measures were often rejected. Nonetheless, he was instrumental in forging anti-slavery voters into a potent political movement and played a crucial role in the long process of ending legal slavery in the United States.
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The 13th Amendment and Emancipation Proclamation
Abraham Lincoln was personally opposed to slavery. However, he believed that the federal government was prevented by the Constitution from abolishing slavery in states where it already existed. Lincoln initially thought that only a constitutional amendment could end slavery. He was morally opposed to slavery and politically opposed to its expansion. He also opposed the extension of slavery into the western territories.
Lincoln's plan was to halt the spread of slavery and offer monetary compensation to slave owners in states that agreed to gradually end the practice. He favored a system of gradual emancipation that would allow for the controlled management of freed people. Lincoln's views on slavery were shaped by the political atmosphere of his time.
Lincoln's position as president bound him to "preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States." He felt confined by his constitutional authority as president to challenge slavery only in the context of necessary war measures. Lincoln believed that emancipation through executive action was legally justifiable. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation as a commander-in-chief, taking responsibility for it himself. The proclamation, issued in 1863 during the American Civil War, declared that all persons held as slaves within any state or designated part of a state in rebellion against the United States were to be "forever free." However, the Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery nationwide as it only applied to areas of the Confederacy in rebellion and not to the "border states" that remained in the Union.
Lincoln recognized that the Emancipation Proclamation would need to be followed by a constitutional amendment to guarantee the abolishment of slavery. The 13th Amendment, passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, abolished slavery in the United States. It stated that "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude" shall exist within the nation. The amendment was the first of three Reconstruction Amendments adopted following the Civil War, greatly expanding the civil rights of Americans.
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Lincoln's views on racial equality
Abraham Lincoln was morally opposed to slavery and politically opposed to any expansion of it. In his Peoria speech on October 16, 1854, Lincoln declared his opposition to slavery, stating that he hated it because of the "monstrous injustice of slavery itself". He also acknowledged the limitations of his presidential powers, stating that he did not believe the presidency gave him unrestricted rights to act on his personal beliefs. Lincoln's views on racial equality evolved over the course of his presidency. While he initially supported the idea of colonization, which proposed that the majority of the African American population should leave the United States and settle in Africa or Central America, he later argued for limited Black suffrage, suggesting that any Black man who had served the Union during the Civil War should have the right to vote.
Lincoln's stance on slavery was influenced by his interpretation of the Constitution. He believed that slavery was sanctioned by the Constitution, which included key clauses protecting the institution, such as the Fugitive Slave Clause and the Three-Fifths Clause. Lincoln agreed with most Americans that the federal government was prevented by the Constitution from abolishing slavery in states where it already existed. However, he was opposed to the expansion of slavery into new territories and offered monetary compensation to slave owners in states that agreed to gradually end the practice.
Lincoln's position on emancipation and racial equality evolved during his presidency. Initially, he believed that only a constitutional amendment could end slavery. However, he later realized that emancipation through executive action was legally justifiable, and he exploited his power as Commander-in-Chief to validate emancipation as a military measure. Lincoln's change in approach was not driven by a change in his personal beliefs but by the legal and political landscape. He understood that emancipation was a necessary war measure and strategically advantageous for the Union.
In summary, Lincoln's views on racial equality were shaped by his moral opposition to slavery and his belief in the inherent equality of all men. While his approach to emancipation evolved during his presidency, he consistently worked towards the ultimate extinction of slavery and the improvement of social and political conditions for African Americans.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Lincoln was morally opposed to slavery and believed that it was inherently unjust. He also believed that Black men had the right to improve their condition in society and to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Lincoln believed that slavery was sanctioned by the Constitution, the highest law in the land. He initially believed that only a constitutional amendment could end slavery. However, he later realized that emancipation through executive action was legally justifiable.
Lincoln's plan was to halt the spread of slavery and offer monetary compensation to slave owners in states that agreed to gradually end it. He also supported the 13th Amendment, which brought an end to legal slavery in the United States.
