Abrham Lincoln: Biggot?

Abraham Lincoln named the “Great Emancipator” in actuality was the exact opposite. Having humble beginnings from the western and southern perspective, Lincoln claimed to be a common man; however he reluctantly wanted to give the rights of the common man to blacks. Beginning his policies in the Illinois legislature Lincoln supported the idea of liberating blacks and sending them to Africa, and not giving them free rights in the United States of America. Hofstadter would agree to a great extent with Lincoln’s reluctance to emancipate the slaves because until he reached the presidency and needed to appeal to the populous did he denounce slavery in public.

Nevertheless, Lincoln’s career was politically motivated, fueled by slavery at the time of the Kansas/Nebraska act. Having previously visited New Orleans in 1828 and in 1831, the conduct of his positions, as he was not one to align himself with unpopular reform movements. However not until the issue of slavery had been fueled in the expansion west in the 1840’s did Lincoln attack slavery head on (Hofstadter p.139). William Lloyd Garrison was continually fighting for the emancipation of slaves in Washington D.C.; Lincoln was then able to see the slavery issue from both ends. Issuing into congress Lincoln added a resolution to abolish slavery in Washington D.C. adding a section required the municipal authorities on Washington to provide strict fugitive slave laws for all those slaves who had fled to D.C. (Hofstadter p.141). Not wanting to expand slavery any further, Lincoln has begun to contradict his belief that all men are created equal, passing the Fugitive Slave Act (1850) and then trying to stop its expansion into the west, not completely ridding the nation of it.

During the Lincoln- Douglas debates, Lincoln felt that the democratic part was a ‘conspiracy… for the sole purpose of nationalizing slavery’ (Hofstadter p.147). The feelings that were expressed by this sentiment came from the ruling in the Dred Scott case ruling a slave was not a person, but property and thus could not sue their owners. Upon giving his “House Divided” speech, Lincoln found himself embroiled in a series of contradictions trying to appeal to the abolitionists and Negrophobes (Hofstadter p.149). Supporting slavery in the southern area of Illinois and denouncing it in the North proved to be more trouble than it was worth. Lincoln did not personally support the ideas of slavery overall but trying to appeal to the people of the north and south caused him to do what was best for him and what he thought was best in the long run, not for the short time.

Lincoln’s ideals originated of freeing the slaves in colonization was how the question was approached in terms of survival. Lincoln continually condemned the ideas of abolitionists who were freeing slaves against the 3/5th compromise and the constitution (Hofstadter p133). In 1861 Lincoln came face to face with choosing the state of the union or freeing the slaves. With the proposal of