Abraham Lincoln: Taking A Stand Against Slavery Kole ... · Abraham Lincoln: Taking A Stand Against Slavery Kole Petersen Junior Division Historical Paper Paper Length: 1566 Words

Abraham Lincoln: Taking A Stand Against Slavery

Kole Petersen

Junior Division

Historical Paper

Paper Length: 1566 Words

“In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free - honorable alike in what

we give, and what we preserve. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth.

Other means may succeed; this could not fail. The way is plain, peaceful, generous, just - a way

which, if followed, the world will forever applaud, and God will forever bless.” - Abraham

Lincoln1

Abraham Lincoln is one of the most, if not the most, celebrated American president of all

time. “Honest Abe”, as he was called, took a stand in many different ways. He made the

decision to fight to prevent the United States from falling apart, was a commander in chief in the

Civil War, and issued the Emancipation Proclamation.2 Perhaps the greatest way that Lincoln

took a stand was when he helped ratify the 13th amendment, the statement that abolished slavery

in the U.S.A forever.

The Origins Of Slavery in the U.S.

European settlers began to turn to African slaves in the early 17th century as a more plentiful

and cheaper source of labor. At the time, they were using servants, which were mostly poorer

Europeans. After the first 20 Africans were brought to the colony of Jamestown, Virginia in

1619, slavery started to spread throughout the colonies. An estimated 7 million slaves were

imported to America in the 18th century alone. This caused the African continent to lose some

of its most able men and women.3

The daily lives of the slaves were absolutely miserable. Even young children, pregnant

women, and the elderly worked from sunrise to sunset. During harvest time, they had to work an

eighteen hour day! They were usually allowed Sundays and a few holidays, like Christmas, off

from work. Slaveholders didn't give their slaves a healthy diet, clothes, or a nice home. They

mostly ate food that they grew from small pieces of land they farmed or fish that they caught.

Many wore clothes made out of rags, and they lived in small houses with a dirt floor. 4

Lincoln’s Ever Changing Views On Slavery

Starting in his childhood and continuing to his later years, Abraham Lincoln was against

slavery. However, his views on it altered throughout his life. He started out as an inactive

abolitionist. He believed that slavery was unacceptable, but also thought that it was legal due to

it being in the Constitution. In 1855, he started to speak against slavery, but not as openly and

thoroughly as his challengers did in favor of slavery.

In Lincoln’s early life, he wasn't a radical abolitionist or a violent director. He thought

slavery was morally wrong, but he didn't think that abolishing it would work out the problems

and make everyone delighted. He believed that if slavery was left alone, it would work itself

into extinction sooner or later. As he evolved into a more distinguished politician, Lincoln’s

opinion on the matter began to change. He started to speak out more frequently about the

wrongs of slavery. He stated that “the institution of slavery is founded on both injustice and bad

policy.”

Lincoln began to understand the importance of the slave issue as he became more involved in

politics. He started to speak more wholly on slavery with the ratification of the Kansas-Nebraska

Act, which allowed slaves to be kept in the new territories of Nebraska and Kansas.5 In his

Peoria speech, Lincoln castigated popular sovereignty, dismissed disputes that climate and

geography would keep slavery out of the two territories, and assailed slavery itself.

The Start of The War Against Slavery

On the day of November 6, 1860, Abraham won the presidential election against his

opponents Stephen Douglas, John Bell, and John C. Breckinridge. Not a single Southern state

supported him. Talk of secession took on a more serious tone. The Civil War wasn't solely

caused by this election, but it was one of the primary reasons why the war started the following

year.

Instead of letting the Southern states leave the Union, Lincoln decided to go to war.

Surprisingly, this decision was not based on his feelings of slavery. Rather, he felt it was his

duty as the 16th President of the U.S.A to secure the Union, no matter what the cost. His first

inaugural address was an appeal to the rebellious states, seven of which had previously seceded,

to rejoin the United States.6

Five months and 6 days after Lincoln won the 1860 election, Lincoln transported provisions

to Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, against the advice of the majority of his Cabinet. On the

day of April 12, 1861, General P.G.T. Beauregard opened fire at the fort, and the Civil War

suddenly begun. After a 34 hour long battle, United States Maj. Robert Anderson and his army

of 85 soldiers surrendered. This battle was the beginning of America's deadliest war, and the

start of Lincoln’s mission to abolish slavery forever.7

The Emancipation Proclamation

During The War Between the States, Lincoln held the highest position in the U.S armed forces,

commander-in-chief. He led the Union army through numerous battles, losses, and casualties.

He also discovered something during the start of the war. The Constitution protected slavery

during times of peace. But, he thought, in times of war, the commander of chief could abolish it

as a military requirement.8 By mid-1862, Abraham had came to believe in the need to end

slavery. Other than his hatred for the institution, he utterly felt that the South could not come

back into the United States after attempting to sabotage it.

In mid-1862, Abraham indicated to his Cabinet that he wanted to publish a proclamation of

freedom. They persuaded him to wait until a major Union military success before issuing it.

That victory that Lincoln desired came at the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862. Just

five days after the battle was fought, Lincoln decided to release the Emancipation Proclamation,

effective on New Year’s Day 1863. Unless the Confederate States returned to the Union on that

very day, he declared that their slaves “shall be then, thenceforward and forever free.” This

proclamation conceived an atmosphere where the annihilation of slavery was seen as one of the

primary objectives of the Civil War. The proclamation itself actually discharged a slim amount

of slaves, but it was the death knell for slavery in the U.S.9

The 1864 Election and the Thirteenth Amendment

Soon after the proclamation was released, the Union army and Lincoln had a new, clear goal

that they wanted to accomplish before the Civil War ended; free every slave. They fought

against the Confederate in numerous bloody battles, including the Battle of Shiloh (which they

won) and the Battle of Chancellorsville (which they lost). They suffered a huge amount of

casualties in all of these battles.

Three years after the war started, the thirteenth amendment was proposed. It was passed by

the Senate with a vote of 38 in agreement to 6 against, but it was defeated by the House of

Representatives. The vote here was 98 to 65, not conforming to the two-thirds majority rule. In

fact, only four Democrats voted for the amendment to be passed; abolishing slavery was nearly

exclusively a Republican effort. Soon after this event took place, Abraham began to take an

active role for it to be pushed through Congress. He used all of his political skill and influence to

persuade additional Democrats to support the passage of this amendment.10

During this time, he also ran for a second term as president. He was worried that he would

not win after over three years of war. But on November 8, 1864, Lincoln was announced the

winner of the election. He beat opponent George B. McClellan by 191 electoral votes and over

500,000 popular votes.11 This election was so crucial because its outcome would determine the

direction of the war. If Lincoln won, it would be fought until the South had surrendered

unconditionally. If McClellan was the winner, a settlement was almost guaranteed to happen.

Therefore, this election was the Confederacy’s last hope for survival.12

On March 4, 1865, nearly 4 months after he won the 1864 election, Lincoln was sworn for his

second term as the president of the United States and gave a short inaugural address. Considered

by a plethora of people his greatest speech, it is carved on a wall of the Lincoln Memorial.

During the end of the speech, he set the tone for the United States’ Reconstruction. He said,

“With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see

the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for

him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan—to do all which may

achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.”13

Prior to this event, on January 1865, his efforts to pass the thirteenth amendment finally

proved successful, when the bill was passed by the House of Representatives with a vote of

119-56. Abraham supported those congressmen that demanded that southern state legislatures

must approve this amendment before their states would be allowed to return with full rights to

Congress.14 Alas, Lincoln would not live to see the final ratification of the thirteenth

amendment. While attending a screening of the performance, “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s

Theatre in Washington D.C., John Wilkes Booth shot him in the back of the head. He was

pronounced dead the next morning at 7:22 a.m.15

Conclusion

Even though he didn't live long enough to witness the final ratification of the amendment that

abolished slavery, the 16th president was a tremendous help in getting that monumental event to

happen. Using his political influence and skill, he persuaded many people to support the passing

of the amendment. Few people doubt that Lincoln took a stand in history with all that he

accomplished, and he will always be remembered for his heroic actions.

Endnotes

1 Norton, Roger J. "A Collection of Abraham Lincoln Quotes (Including Sources)." A Collection

of Abraham Lincoln Quotes (Including Sources). N.p., 29 Dec. 1996. Web. 20 Jan. 2017.

2 Norton, Roger J. "The Accomplishments of President Abraham Lincoln." The

Accomplishments of President Abraham Lincoln. N.p., 29 Dec. 1996. Web. 20 Jan. 2017.

3 History.com Staff. "Slavery in America." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web.

20 Jan. 2017.

4 UNC School Of Education. "3.1 The Life of a Slave." The Life of a Slave - North Carolina

Digital History. UNC Libraries, 2009. Web. 20 Jan. 2017.

5 Kendall, Shelley. "Lincoln's Changing Views on Emancipation." Lincoln's Changing Views on

Emancipation. Illinois Periodicals Online, Feb. 1997. Web. 20 Jan. 2017.

6 "Abraham Lincoln." Civil War Trust. Civil War Trust, 2014. Web. 22 Jan. 2017.

7 "The Battle of Fort Sumter Summary & Facts." Civil War Trust. Civil War Trust, 2014. Web.

22 Jan. 2017.

8 Kevin. "Abraham Lincoln." Abraham Lincoln. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2017.

9 Ushistory.org. "The Emancipation Proclamation." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall

Association, n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2017.

10 Liedner, Gordon. "The Thirteenth Amendment." Great American History Thirteenth

Amendment-. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2017.

11 Hallowed Ground Magazine, Fall 2014 Issue. "The Election of 1864." Civil War Trust. Civil

War Trust, n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2017.

12 "The Final Year: 1864-1865." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2017.

13 President Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address (1865)." Our Documents - President

Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address (1865). N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2017.

14 “The Thirteenth Amendment.” Great American History Thirteenth Amendment-. N.p., n.d.

Web. 22 Jan 2017

15 History.com Staff. “Abraham Lincoln's Assassination.” History.com. A&E Television

Networks, 2009. Web. 22 Jan. 2017.

Appendix I

Presidential Portrait of Abraham Lincoln

Source:https://www.whitehousehistory.org/galleries/presidential-portraits

Appendix II

The Thirteenth Amendment signed by Abraham Lincoln and Congress

Source:https://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mal&fileName=mal3/436/4361100/malp

age.db&recNum=0

Annotated Bibliography

Primary Sources

http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/biographies/abraham-lincoln.html

This article on this incredible Civil War website is a short, but useful biography about Abraham

Lincoln. It has information on Lincoln's early life, presidency, and more. I used this biography

for the “The Start Of the War Against Slavery” section of my paper.

http://www.civilwar.org/hallowed-ground-magazine/fall-2014/the-election-of-1864.html

Another article on the Civil War Trust site, this one informs you about the 1864 election

campaign, as well as the actual election. I learned a lot about the election and the events leading

to Lincoln winning it. I used this article for the “The 1864 Election and the Thirteenth

Amendment” section.

http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/slavery

This famous history website with its own TV channel has a plethora of articles on nearly every

historical event. The one I read was all about the beginning of slavery in the United States. It

had plenty of facts and information about it. I used the information for the “The Origins Of

Slavery in the U.S.” section of my paper.

http://www.history.com/topics/abraham-lincoln-assassination

Another piece of information on the History.com website, this article informs you on the events

of Lincoln's tragic assassination. I learned exactly how John Wilkes Booth planned the

president’s assassination, and I used the information for the end of the “The 1864 Election and

the Thirteenth Amendment” section.

Secondary Sources

http://rogerjnorton.com/Lincoln78.html

The so called Abraham Lincoln Research Site is a wonderful secondary source to look up and

check information you find on other sources. This particular part of the site is great for locating

the sources of many of Lincoln's quotes. I used this to find the quote I used in the beginning of

my paper.

http://rogerjnorton.com/Lincoln87.html

Another part of the Abe Lincoln Research Site, this article lists some of Lincoln's major

accomplishments throughout his life. This is a nice, short article to read to learn about Lincoln's

many accomplishments, and I used the ideas from it in the introductory paragraph.

http://www.anb.org/articles/04/04-00631.html

The American National Biography has countless biographies of famous Americans, Lincoln’s

included. His biography has a lot of information about Lincoln's early life and political career. I

used this site to find and check information I found on other sources.

http://www.lib.niu.edu/1997/ihy970237.html

The Illinois Periodicals Online site is an imaging project funded by the Illinois State Library.

The article I read in particular has quite a bit of information of Lincoln's changing views on

slavery. I used this very interesting article for the “Lincoln's Ever Changing Views On Slavery”

section.

http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-antebellum/5602

The official website of the Learn NC program, this site has many books, articles, and textbooks

to read. The chapter of the book “Slavery in North Carolina” that I read has some information

about the daily lives of slaves. I used this site for part of the “The Origins Of Slavery in the U.S”

section of my paper.

http://www.ushistory.org/us/34a.asp

This website has a ton of information on the entire history of America, from before Columbus

discovered the America to today. The specific article that I read had information about the

Emancipation Proclamation as well a copy of the document. This useful page helped me write

part of the “The Emancipation Proclamation” section.

http://www.sparknotes.com/history/american/civilwar/section8.rhtml

This website has information about nearly everything you can think of. I used the information

from the article I read as a backup source for the Civil War and 1864 election information I

found.

http://www.greatamericanhistory.net/amendment.htm

This amazing website has information on the Civil War, American Revolution, and, of course,

Lincoln. Managed by Gordon Liedner, author of several popular books about Lincoln, this site

has all of the information you could ever want. I used this source to learn more about the

Thirteenth Amendment.