Lincoln's Views on Slavery

Abraham Lincoln views on slavery swayed through the years. Five months after the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed in 1854, Lincoln gave a speech in Peoria, Illinois giving his opinion on the issue of slavery and its expansion. He felt that popular sovereignty was a bad idea, and that letting slavery expand into new states or territories was “wrong in its direct effect. . . allowing it to spread to every other part of the wide world”. (Lincoln 1: 267). Lincoln stated that he felt the institution of slavery was unjust, made us look like hypocrites to the world and made American citizens doubt the very ideals that the United States was built upon. He stated that he understood how slavery worked in American society and didn’t blame the people whose lives had already been built around the institution. Lincoln said that his first instinct is to let all the slaves be free and help them settle in Liberia, in Africa. The only reason he didn’t think that is a feasible idea is that there was not funds or infrastructure to help them gainfully establish themselves there. Lincoln was against the Kansas-Nebraska act because it showed that the concept of enslaving another human being could be morally right, and led Americans to forget the concept of liberty of which the United States was founded upon. Lincoln’s views of the idea of slavery in American society is that it had changed from a necessary evil to a basic moral right. (Lincoln 1: 268).

            During his fourth debate with Stephen Douglas in 1858, Lincoln asserted that he was not interested in making the “negroes” an equal with the white man when it comes to social or political issues. He noted that there is a physical difference between whites and blacks, that the whites are inherently superior over the blacks who are inferior. Lincoln notes that no one in the America thought that blacks and whites should be equal and neither does he, but that shouldn’t mean that the “negro should be denied every thing.” (Lincoln). Lincoln started the “separate but equal” sentiment that plagued this country for years to come:  he felt that the citizens of the United States could be around each other without enslaving one over the other and without intermingling too much. Lincoln does not think that negroes should vote, be jurors, hold office or marry whites. While Lincoln felt that the institution of slavery was wrong, he didn’t feel that blacks should have equal rights as whites because they are innately inferior to the white race.

            Because these speeches were made on the campaign trail, Lincoln appeared to be playing politics. Although it is possible for his mind to have changed, he substantially changed the ways in which he represented the slavery issue depending on what was going on in the country at the time and how he wanted to influence others. In a letter to Horace Greeley, in 1862, Lincoln notes that his only goal is to save the union.  His interactions with the slavery issue would only be in regards to how it could pull the country together and save it.  Lincoln said that he would gladly keep or end slavery as he sees fit to save the Union.  He stated that not only was slavery not his main concern, if he could save the Union without freeing a single slave, that is what he would have done. At the end of the letter to Greeley, Lincoln left his readers with a final personal note that he wished “all men every where could be free.” (Lincoln 1: 267). Even with this letter, it is easy to question Lincoln’s true thoughts.  Since this letter was written after the war started, he is forced to defend whatever actions he decides to take to the general public.  This was made very clear in the The Emancipation Proclamation where Lincoln freed slaves in the rebellious Confederacy – that is unless they were in places that the North had already taken over.  Lincoln methodically listed the parishes, cities and counties that were exempt from the freedom that The Emancipation Proclamation promised to most of the slaves in the Confederacy. This showed Lincoln was true to his word in his letter to Greeley.  Lincoln only freed the slaves that would benefit the war efforts of the Union. Slaves set free in the Confederacy would limit the resources and manpower available to help support the South’s war effort as well as the financial well being of families of the South.          

 Works Cited

Lincoln, Abraham. "The Emancipation Proclamation." 1 Jan. 1863. to 1877, edited by Michael P. Johnson, 5th ed., Boston, Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012, pp. 284-85. 2 vols.

---. "Fourth Debate with Stephen Douglas." 18 Sept. 1858, Charleston, IL. Speech transcript.

---. "Letter to Horace Greeley." 22 Aug. 1862. Letter.

---. "Speech in Peoria, IL." 16 Oct. 1854. To 1877, edited by Michael P. Johnson, 5th ed., Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012, pp. 266-69. 2 vols. Speech.