Monday, October 11, 2010
Engaging Clio Blog Entry #1
I am choosing the topic of Abraham Lincoln and how he is not the "Great Emancipator" like many people learn. I know a lot of my friends have been taught about this idealized figure of Lincoln as the slave freer because he issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the slaves in the southern states. However, I think that his situation needs to be reevaluated. Lincoln issue the EP for political reasons, and not because he was an abolitionist. In fact, Lincoln had many racist tendencies. I think that it is important that people do not have a false perception of Lincoln. Though he may have been a racist, he has many other qualities that people can still respect. His ultimate goal was to preserve the union, and he would do whatever it took-- and he issued the EP to attempt to preserve the union. I think people need to be aware of the REAL Lincoln, and not the ideal Lincoln.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I agree though the Emancipation Proclamation freed of millions of black slaves, it cannot be said that Lincoln took this action because he was an abolitionist. His main goal was to save the Union, and if that meant allowing the institution of slavery to continue to exist he had no intentions of intervening. The liberation of slaves was a tactic to weaken Southern forces and began because many had already begun freeing themselves by walking to meet Union forces.His portrayal as a great abolitionist is a common misconception held by the general public.
ReplyDelete