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Chapter 14
Abraham Lincoln: Great or
Reluctant Emancipator

P
erhaps no other American president is as revered as Abraham Lincoln. The self-
educated rail splitter rose from an humble background to guide the US through its
greatest crisis, the Civil War. Long known as the “Great Emancipator”, Lincoln has been
credited with having fulfilled a lifetime ambition of ending this accursed institution while also
reuniting this country.

But another view of Lincoln has also emerged. Writing in Ebony Magazine, Lerone
Bennett in 1962 complained that Lincoln was like most whites at the time a racist at heart
who loved to tell ‘darky’ jokes, and was forced against his own inclinations to end slavery.
As you read Lincoln’s speeches and learn of the steps he took toward ending slavery, decide
for yourself, was he the “Great” or only a “Reluctant” emancipator.

Lincoln as Candidate for Office

Social and Political
Lincoln’s Speeches Background

1. 1854: First Public anti-slavery speech

During Lincoln’s boy-
Slavery is unquestionably a wrong. The great mass of mankind con- hood, slaves were un-
sider slavery a great moral wrong. [This feeling] lies at the very foun- known. But people in
dation of their sense of justice, and cannot be trifled with. No statesman the Northwest held
can safely disregard it.1 hostile attitudes to-
ward Negroes.
2. 1856: On Slavery
Lincoln's wife came
Let us draw a cordon so to speak, around the slave states and the
from a prominent
hateful institution, like a reptile poisoning itself, will perish by its own
infamy.2 slave-holding family.

3. 1858: House Divided Speech In Illinois, runaway

slaves were often
A house divide against itself cannot stand. I believe this government caught and returned
cannot endure permanently half-slave and half-free. I do not expect the to slavery.
house to fall, but I do expect it will cease to be divide. It will become all
one thing or all the other. Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the
Free blacks could not
further spread of it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it
vote, were required
is in the course of ultimate extinction or its advocates will push it for-
ward, till it shall become alike in all the states, old as well as new, to pay high taxes,
North as well as South.3 and were thus forced
to leave the state.
Have we no tendency to the latter condition?

1
Quoted in Richard Hofstadter, The American Political Tradition, Random House, New York, 1948, p.
111.
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Lincoln as Candidate for Office (continued)

Lincoln’s Speeches Social and Political

Background

4. 1858: On the Territories Most Americans who

opposed slavery did
The whole nation is interested that the best use shall be made of these not believe in Negro
territories. We want them for homes of free white people. This they equality. Many who
cannot be, to any considerable extent, if slavery be planted within opposed slavery
them. Slave states are places for poor white people to move from, not to merely did not want
move to. New free states are the places for poor people to go to, to black people, either
better their condition. free or slave, living
amongst them in the
5. 1858: On racial equality in Chicago
North or in the
territories.
Let us discard all this quibbling about this man and the other man,
this race and that race and the other race being inferior, and therefore
they must be placed in an inferior position. Let us discard all these
things, and unite as one people throughout this land, until we shall Workers were wor-
once more stand up declaring that all men are created equal. ried that slaves could
compete with whites
6. On racial equality in Charleston, Illinois for jobs. Settlers
feared slavery would
I will say then, that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing hurt their chances in
about in any way the social and political equality of the white and the territories.
black races; that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters
or jurors of Negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to
Lincoln was under
intermarry with white people. And inasmuch as they cannot so live,
while they do remain together there must be the position of superior pressure to
and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the differentiate his
superior position assigned to the white race. position on slavery
from Douglas's, and
7. 1858: The Difference with Douglas was vying for votes
in Illinois.
The real issue in this controversy is the sentiment on the part of one
class that looks upon the institution of slavery as a wrong and another
class that does not look upon the institution of slavery as a wrong. The
sentiment that contemplates the institution of slavery as a wrong is the
sentiment of the Republican party. They insist that it should as far as
possible be treated as a wrong: and one of those methods of treating it
as a wrong is to make provision that it should grow no larger. They
also look to a peaceful end of slavery at sometime, as being wrong.

2
Quoted in Dwight Dumond, Anti-Slavery Origins of the Civil War in the United States, University of
Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, 1959, p. 108
3
Quoted in Paual Angle, op. cit., p. 2.
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Lincoln’s Speeches and Actions As President Social Political
Background
1. 1861: Repeats previous promises not to interfere with slavery
where it already exists. Refuses to compromise on issue of Confederacy formed
extension of slavery. Would not accept Crittenden proposal of from 7 states out of the
extending Missouri Compromise line to California. Union. 8 more states
considered secession. 4
2. 1861: Although Confederate states are out of the Union, slaves states remain in
Congress organizes Colorado and other territories on the basis of the Union after the war
popular sovereignty. started.

3. 1861: Reverses General Fremont's order to free the slaves of Many in North would
men who are fighting against the Union in Missouri. support a war to save
the Union, but would not
4. 1862: Proposes compensated emancipation for slaves in loyal
support a war to free
states and in Washington, D.C. Lincoln proposes deporting all
the slaves.
slaves thus freed to Africa.
5. 1862: Issues following explanation for his wartime policies
Pressure from abol-
regarding slavery:
itionists to do some-
thing about slavery in-
My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and it is not
either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without creased. Many in North
freeing any slave, I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all of the were unhappy with
slaves, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving Lincoln's policies on
others alone, I would also do that. What I do about slavery and the slavery.
colored race I do because I believe it helps to save the Union.4
Criticism against Lin-
coln's slave policy
increased. England was
6. January 1, 1863: Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation. about to recognize the
It frees all slaves South of the Union armies. Emancipation is now Confederacy as a
an official war aim of the North. But no slaves are immediately separate nation. The
free. Slaves in Union territory or in the border states are not British would not
covered by the Proclamation. recognize it if the Civil
War became an anti-
slave crusade.

War still raged. Some

states, were conquered
7. 1863: Lincoln offers to re-admit to the Union all Southern states and could be readmitted
that abolish slavery. He does not require that slaves be guaranteed into the Union.
Constitutional rights such as speech, trial by jury, vote, own
property, etc. Lincoln still considers deportation of freed slaves to
Lee surrendered at
Africa or South and Central America.
Appomattox April 9,
1865.
8. 1864: Lincoln uses his influence to convince reluctant
Congressmen to pass Amendment 13 (abolishing slavery) and
Lincoln is assassinated &
sends it to be ratified by the states. Still has no plan to help freed
his Vice-president
slaves except for deportation
carries out his plan for
9. Under Lincoln’s plan carried out by his successor, ten states are restoring the Union
admitted to the Union; all pass laws severely restricting the rights
of freed blacks and elect former Confederate leaders to hold high
political office.
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Activities: Deciding What a Politician Really Means

1. As you read and take notes on Lincoln’s speeches make sure you note the social and
political background which has shaped him and be aware of the audience he is addressing.
Also look for things Lincoln said in which he seems to contradict himself. Finally look at the
actions he takes. Is there anything Lincoln said that explains the actions that he has taken.
Does this seem to resolve the question whether Lincoln had his priorities right on the slavery
issue?

2. Write a brief statement whether you think that Lincoln was either a “Great” or merely a
“Relucant” emancipator. Be sure you state the reasons for your opinion. Come to class
prepared to defend your point of view.

——————————
The Issue Today: Two Modern Views

Not the Great Emancipator Lincoln Acted on His High Standard

In his new book, Forced Into Glory: Abraham
Lincoln's White Dream, black American author,
Lerone Bennett, presents historic evidence
supporting the theory that Abraham Lincoln
was, in fact, a devoted racist harboring a life-
long desire to see all black Americans deported
to Africa.
Bennett suggests that as a young politician in
Illinois, Lincoln regularly used racial slurs in
speeches, told racial jokes to his black servants,
and vocally opposed any new laws that would
have bettered the lives of black Americans.
Key to Bennett's thesis is the 1863
Emancipation Proclamation which, Bennett
argues, Lincoln was forced into issuing by the
powerful abolitionist wing of his own party.
Bennett asserts that Lincoln carefully worded
the document to apply only to the rebel
Southern states, which were not under Union
control at the time, thus resulting in an
Emancipation Proclamation that did not in
itself free a single slave.
At one point, Bennett quotes William Henry
Seward, Lincoln's secretary of state, who
referred to the proclamation as a hollow,
meaningless document showing no more than,
"our sympathy with the slaves by
emancipating the slaves where we cannot
reach them and holding them in bondage
where we can set them free."
He may not have been the Great Emancipator
but he helped to emancipate.
Yes, as Bennett describes, Lincoln did allow the
four slave states that remained in the Union to
dictate his policy toward slavery. But, can
anyone familiar with geography blame Lincoln
for wanting to avoid secession by Maryland
and Delaware? It would have left the District of
Columbia surrounded by hostile states, which
would not have been a happy situation.
The Emancipation Proclamation did not free
many slaves, but it gave the Civil War a moral
purpose that fended off potential foreign allies
to the South and set a new course for American
history.
Lincoln may have supported "colonization" of
black slaves to Africa, but he was hardly alone,
either among white or black leaders of the
time. Yet, the proclamation repudiated
colonization, in so many words and enabled
the first large-scale enlistment of black soldiers
in the Union army.
Once he issued the proclamation, Lincoln no
longer could waffle on the slavery issue. His
role as "emancipator" was assured and he did
nothing to discourage it.
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Bennett asserts that Lincoln often put forth Lincoln held off radical Republicans who
plans for deporting the slaves to Africa both wanted him to go further, but he also fended
before and during his presidency.  off reactionaries who wanted him to move
backward, to modify his proclamation or
The tone of Forced Into Glory: Abraham Lincoln's abandon it altogether.
White Dream is decidedly angry, as if Bennett Like Thomas Jefferson and other heroic figures
feels betrayed by what he calls the "myth" of of American history, Lincoln set a higher
Abraham Lincoln.  standard for human brotherhood and
sisterhood than even he was able to meet.
"No other American story is so enduring. No
other American story is so comforting. No Still, we can admire Lincoln, as I still do,
other American story is so false." inasmuch as he set that high standard during
his better moments and acted on it.
Source::Was Abraham Lincoln a Racist
/usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa0828
00a.htm

Your Verdict
Which of the previous statement do you think is best supported by the facts as you
understand them?