Abraham Lincoln: Positions & Views on Slavery

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The solution below contains a narrative that discusses the problems you presented above. A summary of Abraham Lincoln's views are presented with excerpt from his speeches and a position-analysis of these speeches and what they imply. References are provided to allow you to expand your research. Good luck and thank you for using Brainmass!

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OTA 105878/Xenia Jones
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Abraham Lincoln and Slavery

Abraham Lincoln's childhood in the frontier and his rise as a political giant is a familiar historical knowledge in American history. 'Honest Abe' is seen as the man who 'freed' the slaves being that individual that finally laid the debate on whether or not Slavery should be allowed in American Society as legal practice via the Emancipation Proclamation on February 12, 1809. Due to the varied debates and differences between the States on their opinion and positions on Slavery, during his time as a Senator, the Union was in danger of falling apart. The 1858 Lincoln-Douglas Debates was the series of debates between Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas, one of Lincoln's rivals from his days in the Illinois state capital. Douglas was a prominent Democrat who himself was anti-slavery. He opposed the constitution of Kansas due to their pro-slavery constitution which was in danger of being made legal, at least in said State. While the debate could have been concentrated on the legality of the constitution, the debate between the rivals was on the legality of slavery altogether. Douglas was voting for a compromise between slavery and the law, allowing it in several instances. Lincoln argued that it is clear issue of a yes or no to slavery which ought to encompass all of the union. His 'House Divided Speech' was due to this - for Lincoln the union either 'stands together on the issue' or break down as a nation. Lincoln debated that slavery violated the important tenet of the Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal. For him, ...