Name: NISSI EKANEM Date: 05/08/2018 CRN: 58679 DBQ ESSAY Abraham Lincoln and the Struggle for Union and Emancipation, 1861–1865 Even though Abraham Lincoln is remembered as the president that "abolished" slavery, it is also important to remember that there were two sides of the story. “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 do it by freeing some and leaving others, I would also do that”. This quote is from Abraham Lincoln's letter to newspaperman Horace Greeley.
Stephen Douglas, an advocate of popular sovereignty, and Abraham Lincoln, a Republican candidate, were both running to represent Illinois in the United States Senate. These two men met in a sequence of seven debates before they battled for office of presidency in the election of 1858. Slavery eventually became the main issue discussed repeatedly in each of the debates, due to the Mexican War adding new territories left to be assessed as free soil or not. During this time, the Compromise of 1850 was a temporary fix to the sectional issues for the states that made the decision to participate in the extension of slavery. However, the Missouri Compromise of 1854 brought the issue back up again.
Where a not so well known Republican, Abraham Lincoln, challenged the reputable Democrat, Stephen A. Douglas, to a series of seven open-air debates to be done throughout Illinois on the issue of slavery in territories. Douglas supported popular sovereignty, which is the allowing of inhabitants of a territory to vote for or against slavery in that territory. He also held that slavery was not immoral, but thought an unsuitable labor system for some places. Lincoln, on the other hand, held that slavery was immoral, and a labor system based on greed. The main difference between Lincoln and Douglas was that Douglas believed popular sovereignty would inevitably lead to slavery ceasing on its own, while Lincoln saw the only way to end slavery was through legislation.
Lincoln was running for public office against Fredrick Douglass. Lincoln and Douglas were far apart on certain issues, such as the expansion of slavery, equal rights, and the role of the national government. Lincoln opposed it, but he also wrote about fugitive slaves, I will bite lip and remain soundless. He would be inflexible about the stopping of slavery expansion, and at the same thought, he knew that we would be hypocrites, if we allow slavery expansion to continue. He firmed believed they would have people doubting our sincerity and our love for liberty (Fonder, 495).
He was largely self-educated and became a successful lawyer and politician, serving in the Illinois state legislature and the US House of Representatives before being elected President in 1860. During his presidency, Lincoln faced the daunting challenge of leading the country through the Civil War, which ultimately resulted in the abolition of slavery and the preservation of the Union. He is also known for his powerful speeches, including the Gettysburg Address and his second inaugural address. While both Douglass and Lincoln fought for the rights of African Americans, they had different approaches to achieving that goal. Douglass was a radical abolitionist who believed in immediate and complete emancipation, while Lincoln initially advocated for gradual emancipation and colonization of freed slaves.
Lincoln and Douglass participated in seven debates throughout Illinois, one in each of the state’s congressional districts. Lincoln believed slavery was wrong and wanted slavery to end. He preserved the union during
Abraham Lincoln often seemed to contradict himself on the subject of slavery. This was most often the case during his campaigns for office. The campaign for Senate that put him in the national spotlight ended in a loss perhaps in part due to his opponent, a pro-slavery states’ rights advocate by the name of Stephen Douglas, bringing attention to these contradictions. Illinois was divided on the issue of slavery in 1858. Northern Illinois had a large abolitionist movement while the southern half of the state had a majority that supported slavery.
There were more than 119 serial killers in the 70’s (The Decline of The Killer), some more infamous than others, one of these infamous killers is John Wayne Gacy, he was known for sodomizing young males between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one then killing them(Crime Museum). As a child Gacy experienced sexual assault and physical violence, he was bullied and had a heart condition which kept him from playing sports (The Famous People). Gacy struggled with his sexuality, his home life stayed abusive until he moved out and began to work, while making his own money Gacy bought a home, he met a fellow coworker and married her, after his first run in with the cops she divorced, Gacy then had a second divorce and it seemed to give him and feeling
In 1952, Thomas P. Benjamin, an expert in the history of Abraham Lincoln’s life, published his book, Abraham Lincoln: A Biography, which argues that Lincoln’s election was the cause of the war but Lincoln’s efforts would also lead to the North’s decisive victory. This argument renders similar to the arguments of Charnwood and Ludwig, but differs in the way that Lincoln’s actions are glorified tremendously in this second time period. Lincoln, along with his actions, are depicted as highly thoughtful, incisive and effective. His clearly recognized position of the moral issue of slavery gave rise to Lincoln’s fame and aided his presidential election.5 Benjamin further states the point that Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was an important milestone
President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on the evening of April 14, 1865 at a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D. C. He was accompanied by his wife, Mary Lincoln, and Major Henry Rathbone and Miss Clara Harris, his future fiancee; the Lincoln’s were in a relatively good mood having ended the civil war. The four sat together in a private balcony box. The murderer, John Wilkes Booth, a famous actor of that play, hated Lincoln’s reforms. At around 10:00 pm, when the play was ending, Booth had walked past Major Henry Rathbone and shot Lincoln in the head. He then cut Rathbone’s arm and lept off to the stage, protecting himself and fleeing from the crime scene.
Opinions, speech, slavery, and 1858, all of these things all have one thing in common, Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was not like other politicians of his time. After leaving politics to focus on being a lawyer he reentered the world of politics to voice his opinion on the Kansas-Nebraska Act. This act was brought to motion after both Kansas and Nebraska both asked to become an official state in America. The idea was that each state would be able to choose whether or not to be a slave stare or a free state; this idea was called ‘popular sovereignty’.
During the mid-nineteenth century, the controversy over the morality of slavery and the rights of African Americans overshadowed America’s efforts of building a united nation. In fact, this controversy tore America apart. Abraham Lincoln was not only one of the leading anti-slavery advocates, but he also eventually became president during this tumultuous era. Many events occurred prior to the start of the Civil War that shaped Lincoln’s thinking and his approach to abolishing slavery. These events include the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, the Dred Scott decision of 1857, and Lincoln’s senate race against Stephen A. Douglas.
“Scott v. Sanford declared that African Americans were not citizens and had no inherent rights” (“Abraham Lincoln Biography”). Abraham Lincoln also viewed that African American were not equal to whites, but he thought the Founding Father’s of America intended that all men were created with certain unalienable rights. After this decision, Abraham Lincoln decided to run against Stephen Douglas for his seat on the U.S. Senate. During his nomination speech, he criticized President Buchanan for promoting slavery and gave the famous line, “a house divided cannot stand.” Sadly, Abraham Lincoln was not elected.
Over hundreds of years America has had many presidents, some able to complete the tasks at hand, but many were not worthy of leading this nation. President Abraham Lincoln was one of the few who led the United States of America with great strength and courage. Abraham Lincoln was the best U.S. president because he had a great impact on ending slavery and he was one of the greatest natural strategists and leaders of all time. Abraham Lincoln is considered to be America 's wisest president. Abraham Lincoln, "proved to be a shrewd military strategist and a savvy leader during what became the costliest conflict ever fought on American soil."
If I lived during the time of Abraham Lincoln I would have mostly agreed with his actions. Lincoln had various contemporary criticisms. One was Abraham Lincoln’s immediate task, which focused on leading and unifying the nation. As the book the book states, “Lincoln’s first task as president was to assert control over his own cabinet”(Faragher, 389). His cabinet consisted of many men who were rivals for the presidential nomination.
