Abraham Lincoln Cornerstone Address Analysis

Abraham Lincoln the 16th president of the United States once stated, “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” Abraham Lincoln is a hero for the citizens of the United States of America because his determination and courage to ending slavery even if it meant. Slavery was the vital cause of the American Civil War. The civil war was between the northern and southern states. The northern states were called the union and the southern states were the confederacy/confederates. The north and the south both had their differences on how to run the country which created power struggle between the two. People in the North believed in unity and that slavery should …show more content…
Alexander Stephen who was the Vice President of the Confederacy encouraged the people of the South too take action for what they believed in. The speech done by Stephens was before the start of the war, and its purpose was to explain the reason for the succession, difference in ideologies, and to defend slavery. Alexander Stephens asserted that, “upon the great truth that the Negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition” (Stephens, 3). He believes that African ‘American people’s natural state is to be a slave.Throughout his speech, Stephen is essentially encouraging the people of the South to fight back for their rights that are being taken away by the North. Stephen believes that without fighting back, the North will just take away the rights of the South. Such speeches were common in the South, as politicians would try their best to make sure people in the South did not get influenced by the Republican Party. When an influential person like Stephen is encouraging the South to fight back, a war is inevitable. As the South starts to believe that the only way to keep slavery is to fight for …show more content…
Some states believed in slavery while others didn’t. “The United States Supreme Court decided one hundred and fifty years ago that slavery is morally lawful” (Suing for Freedom). The court’s decision was that slavery was allowed because slaves had no rights and would never be citizens of the country. This was a shameful situation because everyone should have the right to live their life however they want; which is why Dred Scott fought for his freedom. He was “a slave who sued for his freedom in Missouri after living in the free states of Illinois and Wisconsin” (Suring for Freedom). His battle for freedom ended up in the Supreme Court. This gave hopes to many other suffering just like he did. Scott kept on fighting for his rights even though the Missouri Compromise of 1820 strictly restricted the spread of slavery. Even though he didn’t receive his freedom, this opened eyes for many northerners. This allowed them to stand up for the slaves to give them the freedom they deserved. Northern abolitions that were trying to end slavery were outraged due to the court’s decision. “The resulting furor helped Abraham Lincoln win the presidency. Ultimately, it would take the Civil War and a constitutional amendment to end slavery. Scott didn 't live to see that day. But he did become a free man” (Suing for Freedom). The whole event led to the civil war. The