With the war going bad for the North and the presidency of Lincoln unsure, sought to weaken the South by targeting the slaves. Slavery had been and would be an evil within the United States. Lincoln’s position was that slavery was morally wrong, and that he did not approve of it. He was proponent of one’s hard work, which slavery contradicted that idea (AbrahamLincolnClassroom). Although this fact was more shadowed by how worried he was for the effect slavery had on whites (Preston, 2012). For Lincoln the idea of slavery and how it morally changed his fellow man was of more concern than the freedom of the slaves. Prior to the war Lincoln was engaged in trying to end slavery. He voted and advocated against …show more content…
This would change later when he was unable to stop the South from declaring secession. As stated before with the war’s current progress Lincoln understood that slavery was a key component to the war. In order to defeat the South, slavery must also be defeated. Starting early in 1862 Lincoln prepared an Emancipation Proclamation, which would free all slaves in rebellious states in war against the Union. His secretary Seward advised him not to do anything yet until a major victory was …show more content…
For Europe there was strong sentiment for anti-slavery in the middle and working class that pressured the aristocrats who supported the South. Along with other cotton supplies opening in India, Britain and France no longer could openly side with the Confederates. In also changing the war’s aim he helped to spur anti-slavery sentiments internationally, which for Western countries would be an important change to be received. By using the Emancipation Proclamation Lincoln had effectively kept outside interference and pushed for abolition support.
The Emancipation Proclamation also reflected Lincoln’s beliefs and is another place that one can observe the effect of religion. As a strong believer of the Constitution, Lincoln felt that all men deserved access to the American dream. Although a strategic move, Lincoln had vested interest in the results of the proclamation. Morally and religiously he wanted the United States to be freed from the evils of slavery (Preston, 2012). As the war drew on he also gained much sympathy for the slaves, the spiritual feeling growing in him that fueled his