Did Lincoln really want to free the slaves - Research Paper Example

Did Lincoln Really Want To Free The Slaves? Steven D. Clegg HIST101 (American History to 1877) Zupon 27 February 2 Did Lincoln Really Want To Free The Slaves? Introduction "My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it." (Lincoln 1862) President Lincoln wrote these words in August 22, 1862 to journalist Horace Greeley, an abolitionist who wrote for the New York Tribune. This was one month before the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. It is clear from this dialogue that Lincoln’s main concern at that time was to preserve the Union at all costs and not a sweeping condemnation of slavery. Even though The Emancipation Proclamation was a historic event and precipitated the end of slavery, the Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery. This was because Lincoln did not have a deep conviction for or against slavery. Lincoln's objective was to preserve the Union and not to free the slaves. The Emancipation Proclamation was a historic event and precipitated the end of slavery. It was the first time that blacks could serve as militia. Blacks were allowed to enlist in the Union Army and Navy and consequently became agents of their own liberation. Lincoln needed extra troops on the ground in order to defeat the Confederacy and preserve the Union. Over 200,000 black troops were added to the Union Army. (US National Archives & Records Administration n.d.) 3 It is clear from his actions that Lincoln’s primary concern for issuing the proclamation was to build up the Union army in order to defeat the Confederacy. Since the Union prevailed in the war, Lincoln succeeded in his goal for a Union victory. Another example that shows that The Emancipation Proclamation was a historic event and precipitated the end of slavery was the subsequent passing of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution. The Emancipation Proclamation was a precursor to the thirteenth amendment which made slavery illegal in every state, not just those affected by the Emancipation Proclamation. Congress ratified the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution on December 6, 1865. (13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Abolition of Slavery n.d.) Without the Emancipation Proclamation mandating freedom for some blacks, there would not have been the impetus for Congress to pass sweeping legislation mandating freedom to all blacks in the form of the Thirteenth Amendment. Even though The Emancipation Proclamation was a historic event and precipitated the end of slavery, The Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery. This is because Lincoln did not have a deep conviction for or against slavery. The following is an elaboration upon the correspondence quoted in the beginning of this essay. 4 I would save the Union. I would save it the shortest way under the Constitution. The sooner the national authority can be restored; the nearer the Union will be "the Union as it was." If there be those who would not save the Union, unless they could at the same time save slavery, I do not agree with them. If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time destroy slavery, I do not agree with them. 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 all the slaves 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; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause. I shall try to correct errors when shown to be errors; and I shall adopt new views so fast as they shall appear to be true views. (Lincoln 1862) Abraham Lincoln’s own words prove that he did not have a deep conviction for or against slavery. The cause that Lincoln speaks about is clearly not the emancipation of the slaves. It is about preserving the Union at any cost. Integrating blacks into the Union Army and Navy was not so much a sweeping 5 moral undertaking. As stated previously, the Union needed more troops to fight the Confederacy. Another example that shows that Lincoln did not have a deep conviction for or against slavery was the obscure language of the Emancipation Proclamation itself. Consider the following excerpt: Do order and designate as the States and parts of States wherein the people thereof, respectively, are this day in rebellion against the United States the following, to wit: Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana (except the parishes of St. Bernard, Paquemines, Jefferson, St. John, St. Charles, St. James, Ascension, Assumption, Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. Mary, St. Martin, and Orleans, including the city of New Orleans), Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia (except the forty-eight counties designated as West Virginia, and also the counties of Berkeley, Accomac, Northhampton, Elizabeth City, York, Princess Anne, and Norfolk, including the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth) (US National Archives & Records Administration n.d.) The exceptions were the border-states. These states were crucial to the cohesiveness of the Union. Since Lincoln’s main concern was preserving the Union, he could not afford to fall into disfavor with these states. Clearly, Lincoln wanted to appease the North without completely alienating the South. The exact 6 wording of the Emancipation Proclamation, as quoted above, was intentionally vague. This was because Lincoln was only concerned with preserving the Union. By pacifying the Union friendly Border States, Lincoln achieved his goal. The most important reason The Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery was because Lincoln's objective was to preserve the Union and not to free the slaves. It is abundantly clear that Lincoln was not totally against slavery because the Emancipation Proclamation allowed the Border States, those states that were already under Union control, to continue their slavery practices. The Emancipation Proclamation was not written, nor did Lincoln ever intend to free all the slaves. By allowing blacks to become their own liberators, the war took on a moral tone. Suddenly, the war was a crusade to free the slaves. This was a politically strategic move on Lincoln’s part that resulting in a Union victory. Another example that shows that Lincoln's objective was to preserve the Union and not to free the slaves was his fear that England and France would sympathize with the Confederacy. Lincoln did not want England or France to give recognition to the Confederacy. He wanted to prevent the two countries from giving the Confederates political and military aid. France and England were both countries under monarchy. Europe had never been happy with the success of the democratic North. The rulers of Europe would have been 7 pleased if the Union broke apart. However, England was not totally unfriendly to the Union. Reformers John Bright and Richard Cobden publically supported Lincoln’s administration. Even the British working class, who had experienced tremendous economic loss during the cotton shortage, was opposed to the Confederacy. (Civil War Potpourris 2002) The situation with England and France concerned Lincoln. He knew that both countries practiced slavery and was fearful that they would intervene on behalf of the Confederacy. Additionally, the United States government could not legally prevent England from delivering aid to the Confederacy. After the Union victory at the battle of Antietam, if became abundantly clear to Europe that the Confederacy would not win the war. This prompted Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation as a war act because he had no Constitutional authority to do so. This is a clear indication that Lincoln used his power in office to implement a policy that had no binding authority in the prohibition of slavery. Lincoln clearly was trying to avoid European disfavor. Once again, Lincoln’s motives had nothing to do with freeing all slaves. Conclusion So you can see that although The Emancipation Proclamation was a historic event and precipitated the end of slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery for two main reasons. First, Lincoln did not have a deep conviction for or against slavery. But most importantly, Lincoln's objective was to preserve the Union and not to free the slaves. 8 In his own words President Lincoln said: My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it. (Lincoln 1862) The question that this essay introduced was whether or not Lincoln really wanted to free the slaves. Does it really matter that Lincoln was not the passionate Emancipator as he is portrayed? It does not. The Emancipation Proclamation set in motion a series of events that ultimately lead to the election of the first African American president, Barack Obama. This clearly makes the Emancipation Proclamation an important historic event in American History irrespective of Lincoln’s intentions. 9 Bibliography "13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Abolition of Slavery." Our Documents. http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=old&doc=40 (accessed February 17, 2011). "Civil War Potpourris." Europe and the American Civil War. February 16, 2002. http://www.civilwarhome.com/europeandcivilwar.htm (accessed February 16, 2011). Lincoln, Abraham. "Letter to Horace Greeley." 1862: 11. US National Archives & Records Administration. "The Emancipation Proclamation." National Archives & Records Administration. http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/emancipation_proclamation/ (accessed February 17, 2011). Lincoln, Abraham. “Emancipation Proclamation” 1863 Read More