Lincoln | EssayIvy.com

Surname 1

Name

Instructor

Subject

Date

Personal Evolution of Lincoln

Lincoln understood that freedom, not only meant freeing slaves from servitude, but also

giving people the power to attain equal opportunities. On February 11

, 1861, he assumed office

as the U.S president, aware of the challenges he faced due to the lack of the administrative skills

(Gienapp 72). Lincoln saw freedom as not just a preoccupation, but also as a living and breathing

reality in the souls of the American people. Moreover, during the civil war, his comprehension of

liberty changed, forging a positive ideology that is the freedom to act unilaterally. The

redefinition of civil war represented his evolution regarding slavery and race. Thus, this

document discovers the evolution of Lincoln during his tenure as president

In his inauguration speech, Lincoln declared that it was his mandate to uphold the Union

(Gienapp 78). Also, he proclaimed that he had no plan to end slavery where it existed or abolish

the Fugitive Slave Law, this stand dismayed African-American and their White friends. On the

other hand, this statement did not appease the Confederacy; as a result, they attacked Fort

Sumter, which was a Federal fortress in Charleston, South Carolina in April 1861 (Gienapp 74).

The Federal army retaliated, marking the commencement of the Civil War. Afterwards,

Tennessee, Arkansas, North Carolina and Virginia states ended their ties with the Union. Lincoln

held a view that the war was not about black rights or slavery, but it was about preserving the

Union (Gienapp 76). Consequently, African-American volunteers who were willing to join the

military service were turned away by the government. Lincoln backed the laws, prohibiting the

Surname 2

blacks from the army, confirming to northern whites that their race advantage would not be

intimidated.

However, exclusion prevailed. There were African-Americans who were working on

board naval ships for years, and there was no reason that they should go on. As such, Black

sailors were allowed into the American Navy from the start of the war. There were many

African-Americans who were willing to join the battle. Therefore, they put pressure on the

Federal authority. Although Lincoln did not accept it, the blacks were aware that the war was

against slavery. A few, notwithstanding, turned down the ideology of fighting to uphold the

Union that had disowned them and denied them the rights of citizens.

In July in his communication to the Congress, Lincoln elaborated the nature of the

struggle the country faced. He said that “this is essentially a People’s contest. On the side of the

Union, it is a struggle for maintaining in the world, that form, and substance of government,

whose leading object is, to elevate the condition of men.”(Gienapp 83). However, his most

pressing concern was to keep the border slaves in the Union. In his yearly speech, he linked state

liberation to the blacks’ colonization outside the nation as a way of dealing with the slavery

problem. Later in March 1862, he followed up this statement with a special declamation, urging

for the national authority to furnish finances to any territory that approved a progressive

program, compensated liberation. However, Lincoln still thwarted the pressure of making freeing

the aim of Union war.

On the contrary, the president alleged that setting free should take place under nation

protection, as the central government lacked authority over slavery. Moreover, he was confident

that if the States of Border approved liberation, then they will be able to shorten their war actions

(Gienapp 85). Consequently, he called up the representatives of the Border States to a meeting at

Surname 3

White House. In the meeting, he encouraged them to approve a plan of progressive rewarded

liberation. Afraid of a release, they hesitated. He contended with Congress on liberation and war

policy as he held a view that it was his responsibility as commander-in-chief.

In summer 1862, the mood of the Congress started to change due to military misfortunes.

They stated that the war had to be fought on different principles with William Fessenden, a

leading Republican moderate calling for an end to white kid-glove warfare. The Congress

adopted the second Confiscation Act, providing that any captive under a disloyal master who

came into the union watch would be set free. On the contrary, Lincoln opposed the plan that the

Congress could get involved in slavery in any Nation and contemplated vetoing the bill, but later

on, he unwillingly signed it and then discounted it. Instead, he favored promoting the adoption of

gradual emancipation by the Border States as the early step to ending enslavement. With this

regard, he called for a second meeting with the Border States, urging them to take benefit of the

Congress’s proposes of fiscal support. He pointed out that the burden on him to molest

enslavement was rising. The leaders failed to listen to Lincoln’s blunt warning.

Due to the letdown of this convention, Lincoln thought that it was a moment to switch his

strategy on enslavement. He connected liberation to the ideology of a hard War. More

importantly, he became even more persuaded that freedom was constitutional war supremacy

and he called it "military necessity, essential to the preservation of the Union." Further, he

supposed that if the release of captives became a Union War objective, it could be harder for

England and other European states to note the Confederacy. Lastly, he was swayed that the

slaves would linger in the Union even if he took the step. On July 13, he informed Gideon

Welles and William Seward, his cabinet ministers of his decision to change the tactics (Gienapp

110). Seven days later, he distributed a draft of his proclamation at a cabinet meeting.

Surname 4

In a precisely timed move, Lincoln rekindled the view of colonization to undermine

prominent resistance to the liberation of slaves, amidst the Northerners. At an encounter with

free black leaders in August, he urged that white bias was an insurmountable hurdle to blacks

ever being treated as equals. According to him, colonization would benefit blacks, with his first

move being to facilitate prominent acceptance of liberation of slaves. Notably, on 22

September, Lincoln issued the introductory Freeing Announcement (Gienapp 111). Applying its

provisions, he gave the radical nations 100 days to revisit to their devotion to the U.S., if not he

made it clear he would proclaim on January 1, acquittal captives in places that were rebellious.

He entered his 2

term as president, determined to be his own man, his self-confidence had

advanced, and his reliance on advisors became less – this signified personal revolution of

Lincoln as he was growing more independent and making crucial decisions on his own.

Despite the issuance of the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, he was still in favor

for the adoption of a program of compensated emancipation under State watch. Therefore, in

December 1862 message, he ordered the Congress to enact three constitution changes to give

Federal bonds to any state that put an end to enslavement before 1900 (Gienapp 123). In the

issuance of the Proclamation, he declared that black men would be recruited into navy and army

for military service. Furthermore, he thought it was vital for blacks to access education, a

demonstration of his long-lasting belief in self-improvement. Also, he privately approved limited

black suffrage in the South. In a voting rights discussion in Louisiana, he proposed that some

blacks be included, especially the ones who had fought in their ranks and the very intelligent

(Gienapp 154).Accordingly, this depicted the evolution of Lincoln regarding blacks as he saw it

critical for blacks to be educated and be part of decision-making, especially through voting.

Moreover, when he started his regime, he was reluctant to push for emancipation, but later; he

Surname 5

spearheaded the program, and demanding additional rights for the blacks. Importantly, he called

upon the Congress to amend the constitution to end enslavement. For instance, when

Republicans delegates were passing through Washington on their way to the National

Conference, he made it known that he required the party policy to approve a legal change of

overthrowing slavery (Gienapp 162).

The self-confidence he portrayed in his 2

term shows his determination to push for

liberation even in the States that were not provided in the Proclamation. However, this was

contrary to what he had promised not to interfere with. Indeed, the civil war was not about the

union, instead of freeing slaves and black suffrage. He set policies to ensure that this would be

realized. The passing of the Thirteenth Amendment on January 1865 opened a new chapter in the

United States as slavery was abolished (Gienapp 173).

Surname 6

Work Cited

Gienapp, William. Abraham Lincoln and Civil War America. Oxford University Press, 2002.

Place new order. It's free, fast and safe

Paper type

Deadline

Page count

550 words

Total price: $ 15.00

Our customers say

Jeff Curtis

USA, Student

"I'm fully satisfied with the essay I've just received. When I read it, I felt like it was exactly what I wanted to say, but couldn’t find the necessary words. Thank you!"

Ian McGregor

UK, Student

"I don’t know what I would do without your assistance! With your help, I met my deadline just in time and the work was very professional. I will be back in several days with another assignment!"

Shannon Williams

Canada, Student

"It was the perfect experience! I enjoyed working with my writer, he delivered my work on time and followed all the guidelines about the referencing and contents."