Abolitionism was a movement to end the African and Indian slave trade and set the slaves free. As the nation approached its third year of the bloody Civil War, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free." The Emancipation Proclamation did not actually free all the slaves, since the Proclamation was a military measure. It didn’t apply to border slave states like Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri, all of which had remained loyal to the Union. Lincoln, also, didn’t believed that blacks and whites should have the same social and political rights. In a series of debates in 1858, Lincoln made his view on the matter clear by saying: “I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races,”[3] He then stated that he opposed blacks having the right to vote, to serve on juries, to hold office, and to intermarry with whites. Although, he did believe that like all men, blacks had the right to improve their condition in society and to enjoy the fruits of their labor. [3] Is that really considered free? Would you feel like a free man if you still didn’t have the same rights as everyone
Abolitionism was a movement to end the African and Indian slave trade and set the slaves free. As the nation approached its third year of the bloody Civil War, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free." The Emancipation Proclamation did not actually free all the slaves, since the Proclamation was a military measure. It didn’t apply to border slave states like Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri, all of which had remained loyal to the Union. Lincoln, also, didn’t believed that blacks and whites should have the same social and political rights. In a series of debates in 1858, Lincoln made his view on the matter clear by saying: “I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races,”[3] He then stated that he opposed blacks having the right to vote, to serve on juries, to hold office, and to intermarry with whites. Although, he did believe that like all men, blacks had the right to improve their condition in society and to enjoy the fruits of their labor. [3] Is that really considered free? Would you feel like a free man if you still didn’t have the same rights as everyone