In the 1840s, the self-educated Abraham Lincoln represented slave owner Robert Matson, who wanted to once again enslave a free, mixed-race woman. Lincoln lost the case, and Jane Bryant and her children were declared officially free. They later settled in Liberia.
In 1842, Lincoln married Mary Todd. Her family in Kentucky enslaved Black men and women.
While serving as an elected representative in the Illinois legislature, Lincoln supported Zachary Taylor, a slave owner, in Taylor’s 1848 bid for the presidency.
•One of Lincoln’s most representative public statements on the question of race relations was given in a speech in Springfield, Illinois, on June 26, 1857. In this address, he explained why he opposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which would have admitted Kansas into the Union as a slave state: ”There is a natural disgust in the minds of nearly all white people to the idea of indiscriminate amalgamation of the white and black races … A separation of the races is the only perfect preventive of amalgamation, but as an immediate separation is impossible, the next best thing is to keep them apart where they are not already together. If white and black people never get together in Kansas, they will never mix blood in Kansas …”
Lincoln’s political mentor was Henry Clay who owned enslaved Black men and women. He was seen as having a humane regard for Blacks, however. He was at the forefront in the campaign to resettle free Blacks outside the United States, and Clay also served as president of the American Colonization Society.
Early in his life, Lincoln did believe that slavery was morally wrong. However, as his political career took off and he served in Congress, he began to alter his ideology.
•On Sept. 18, 1858, Lincoln said he didn’t believe Blacks should have the same rights as whites. According to Lincoln, “I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races.” He believed that Blacks should not vote, serve on juries, hold office or intermarry with whites. He did believe that, like all men, Blacks had the right to improve their condition in society and to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Lincoln thought colonization could resolve the issue of slavery. In August of 1862, Lincoln hosted a delegation of freed Black people at the White House in order to get their support on a plan for colonizing Central America.
The Emancipation Proclamation was a military policy that didn’t apply to border slave states like Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri, all of which had remained loyal to the Union. Lincoln also exempted selected areas of the Confederacy that had already come under Union control. It only applied to areas the Union did not control.
Social reformer and writer Frederick Douglass strongly backed Lincoln’s election in 1860. He grew to respect Lincoln throughout the Civil War after President Lincoln fulfilled two of Douglass’ objectives: emancipation and Black recruitment in armed regiments.
While serving as an elected representative in the Illinois legislature, Lincoln supported Zachary Taylor, a slave owner, in Taylor’s 1848 bid for the presidency.
•One of Lincoln’s most representative public statements on the question of race relations was given in a speech in Springfield, Illinois, on June 26, 1857. In this address, he explained why he opposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which would have admitted Kansas into the Union as a slave state: ”There is a natural disgust in the minds of nearly all white people to the idea of indiscriminate amalgamation of the white and black races … A separation of the races is the only perfect preventive of amalgamation, but as an immediate separation is impossible, the next best thing is to keep them apart where they are not already together. If white and black people never get together in Kansas, they will never mix blood in Kansas …”
Lincoln’s political mentor was Henry Clay who owned enslaved Black men and women. He was seen as having a humane regard for Blacks, however. He was at the forefront in the campaign to resettle free Blacks outside the United States, and Clay also served as president of the American Colonization Society.
Early in his life, Lincoln did believe that slavery was morally wrong. However, as his political career took off and he served in Congress, he began to alter his ideology.
•On Sept. 18, 1858, Lincoln said he didn’t believe Blacks should have the same rights as whites. According to Lincoln, “I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races.” He believed that Blacks should not vote, serve on juries, hold office or intermarry with whites. He did believe that, like all men, Blacks had the right to improve their condition in society and to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Lincoln thought colonization could resolve the issue of slavery. In August of 1862, Lincoln hosted a delegation of freed Black people at the White House in order to get their support on a plan for colonizing Central America.
The Emancipation Proclamation was a military policy that didn’t apply to border slave states like Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri, all of which had remained loyal to the Union. Lincoln also exempted selected areas of the Confederacy that had already come under Union control. It only applied to areas the Union did not control.
Social reformer and writer Frederick Douglass strongly backed Lincoln’s election in 1860. He grew to respect Lincoln throughout the Civil War after President Lincoln fulfilled two of Douglass’ objectives: emancipation and Black recruitment in armed regiments.
Source: AtlantaBlackStar
On August 22, 1862, just a few weeks before signing the Proclamation and after he had already discussed a draft of it with his cabinet in July, he wrote a letter in response to an editorial by Horace Greeley of the New York Tribune which had urged complete abolition. Lincoln differentiates between "my view of official duty"—that is, what he can do in his official capacity as President—and his personal views. Officially he must save the Union above all else; personally he wanted to free all the slaves:
On August 22, 1862, just a few weeks before signing the Proclamation and after he had already discussed a draft of it with his cabinet in July, he wrote a letter in response to an editorial by Horace Greeley of the New York Tribune which had urged complete abolition. Lincoln differentiates between "my view of official duty"—that is, what he can do in his official capacity as President—and his personal views. Officially he must save the Union above all else; personally he wanted to free all the slaves:
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.
I have here stated my purpose according to my view of official duty; and I intend no modification of my oft-expressed personal wish that all men everywhere could be free.
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