Abraham Lincoln is without a doubt one of, if not, the most iconic and influential figures when it comes to American history. From his time in the house of representatives, to his leading role in the civil war, to serving as the sixteenth president of the United States, Lincoln is a certainly a man who has a fair share of credibility when it comes to the shaping of our nation. But why do we put this man in such high regards? Should we even hold him in such high regards? There have been plenty of presidents who have also navigated the country through war, or held positions in other offices, so what makes Lincoln so special? The answer to these questions, of course, lies in Lincoln himself, or rather what he believed in. The most conspicuous evidence revealing Lincolns true character lies in his many roles in the civil war. At the time of Lincoln’s election, secessionists were up and ready to leave the union. They disagreed with Lincolns stance, one that would allow slaves to be free, and decided it was in their best …show more content…
This sounds like a huge step forward for slave freedom, and it is, but there is something strange about it. An excerpt taken from the Emancipation Proclamation reads “"That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom.” If you look closely, the proclamation only mentions slavery in rebellion states, not all