Abraham Lincoln's Constitutional Dilemm Emancipation And Black Suffrage

Having grown up seeing the portrayal of Abraham Lincoln in popular culture as ‘the great emancipator’ and a champion of black rights unprecedented in his era, I was absolutely shocked when I read the transcript of his debate with Stephen A. Douglass on September 18th 1858 wherein Lincoln stated he did not believe in political or social equality of the races. Realizing that Lincoln was perhaps not as progressive as I have come to believe made me question the extent to which the emancipation proclamation was issued for humanitarian reasons. To answer this question, several factors must be examined: First, the historical context in which the proclamation was issued. Also, what Lincoln himself thought about the issue of black rights and slavery. And finally, the repercussions and responses to the proclamation by his political contemporaries, and leaders in the black community. The best way to gain insight into the matter of Lincoln’s beliefs is to look at his personal accounts and writings which are conveniently …show more content…
Berwanger a professor and author who has written various books on topics such as the civil war and slavery. This source is an article attempting to put Lincoln’s words and actions into an appropriate context. Although, there is an inherent bias in that the article is published by the Abraham Lincoln Association-- which by its nature is concerned with preserving his image—the organizations mandate is also “to actively encourage, promote and aid the collection and dissemination of authentic information regarding all phases of his [Abraham Lincoln’s] life and career” This source will be of great value irrespective of its limitations as it provides an overview and summary of events in their historical context with the inclusion of opposing beliefs to provide a relatively fair assessment of the