How Does Abraham Lincoln Relate To The Civil War

Abraham Lincoln Essay
Abraham Lincoln led our country through some of the toughest times it had to encounter. Although sometimes his direction was not clear, his ultimate goals were to get the United States through the Civil War and to end slavery. In order to achieve these results, President Lincoln’s arguments about slavery, the Constitution, and the Union had to adjust throughout the Civil War. Lincoln’s view of the purpose of the war was to save the Union because of the southern states seceding from the Union. However, the argument changed to the war being about slavery because of Fredrick Douglass’s speeches and the Confederates surrendering at Vicksburg. Before Abraham Lincoln became president, he had one goal in mind. He wanted
John Brown, an abolitionist, thought it was his job sent by God to end slavery. In October 1859, he attacked the federal armory and arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. He was captured and later hung for murder and treason. In December 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union. From January to February 1861, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas followed South Carolina’s lead and also seceded from the Union. When Abraham Lincoln delivered his first inauguration speech, he needed to unify the country and at the same time explain his stance on slavery and how it connected to the war and the Union. During this speech President Lincoln explained, “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it exists.” President Lincoln needed to table his personal views about slavery so he could appeal to all of the states with the ultimate goal of saving the Union. Since many southern states were seceding from the Union, President Lincoln tried to reach out to the southern states and gain their acceptance by stating that he would not
He used his title as commander in chief to write the Emancipation Proclamation. This document was influenced by the Battle of Antietam. This battle had many losses for both the North and the South. Lincoln decided that he had to end the madness, even if it meant going against what he previously stated about slavery. In this speech Lincoln stated, “I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free; and that the Executive government of the United States, including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons.” With this announcement, President Lincoln made it very clear that he now believed that the war was about slavery and that ending slavery was essential to unity. Lincoln sent the military into Confederate territory to end slavery. Even though, Lincoln was focused on the war being about the Union in the past, and did not focus on slavery, his views changed over time and realized that slavery must be