Lincoln and African Americans’ Role in the Abolition of Slavery

Do you need this or any other assignment done for you from scratch?
We have qualified writers to help you.
We assure you a quality paper that is 100% free from plagiarism and AI.
You can choose either format of your choice ( Apa, Mla, Havard, Chicago, or any other)

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Click Here To Order Now!

Slavery in America was entrenched and protected by the Constitution. This made it hard for it to be ended. This is due to the fact that there had to be Constitutional changes to enable its coming to an end. This paper seeks to compare and contrast the role of Abraham Lincoln and the African Americans in bringing slavery to an end in the US. Abraham Lincoln publicly claimed that he was anti-slavery. Lincoln persuaded the Border States that were still in the union to slowly and voluntarily incorporate gradual emancipation of the slaves. In return, the slave owners would be compensated by the government. Through this, it would be possible to end the war that existed between the North and the South.

According to James, there were divisions within the government regarding the abolition of the slave trade. This is evident in that they did not want to support the gradual emancipation proposal by the president and they voted it out (p.41).

This made Abraham Lincoln be very demoralized. Despite his effort to end slavery in America, Lincoln was still a revolutionary conservatism. This is evident in his proclamation that his main objective in his struggle was to ensure the success of the Union and not bring to an end the slavery in America. His intention to bring slavery to a halt was driven by the belief that it was the only way that he could have saved the Union (James 41). On the other hand, the African Americans were not contented in slavery. Their role in ending slavery was more internally motivated.

The slaves were very optimistic. They did not entangle themselves with the federal government conflict between the conservatives who wanted the Constitution to remain and the progressives who were anti-slavery. The slaves realized that they were the central cause of dispute and even the civil war. The determination for freedom amongst the African Americans is evident in that despite their lack of public voice, weapons, and political standing they did lose their focus. They took advantage of opportunities that arose due to conflicts between the Americans.

According to Berlin et al., the African Americans demonstrated loyalty to the federal government in a time when there were wrangles in the government (p.417). This gradually brought to an end every policy by the Union that did not incorporate the principle of universal emancipation. The government was forced to adopt policies that compromised its sovereignty. This shows that it was the determination of the African Americans that resulted in their gaining of freedom from slavery. The conflicts within the government resulted in the incorporation of the proposal by Lincoln regarding gradual emancipation with the integration of African Americans within the army. The slaves were freed reluctantly from the North. This was mainly due to military necessity as a result of the civil war.

Despite the incorporation of African Americans in the army as the commander in chief of the armed forces did not fight for their positions. This resulted in discrimination with regard to posts. They were assigned lower military positions. For instance, there was no chance for them to be involved in combat which they greatly desired in order to confront their enemies. They still viewed these positions as opportunities towards attainment of freedom from slavery which made the fight for more enlistment within the army (Berlin et al 417).

In his effort to fight slavery within America, Lincoln incorporated diplomatic methods through the constitution. This was met with hostility due to differences between the Unionists and the Confederacy. In contrast, the African Americans were determined to fight for their freedom even if it mean civil war. Lincoln provided a platform for the accomplishment of the African Americans’ objective.

In conclusion, it is evident that Abraham Lincoln greatly contributed to the abolition of slavery in America by fighting for the incorporation of the principle of gradual emancipation. It was Lincoln’s administration that first endorsed the African Americans joining the army. This allowed them to fight their enemies who were initially the slave owners.

Despite this, his effort was motivated by the need to retain the cohesiveness of the Union. The African Americans took advantage of the wrangles between the north and the south.

It was their determination and effort that resulted in their freedom. This means that more credit goes to the African Americans. This is evident from the fact that they realized that they were the center of conflict in the government between the North and the South.

They realized that the differences amongst the whites were could be capitalized for their own gain. Their decision not to accept being reduced into doing menial jobs upon incorporation into the military resulted in an increased ability to fight for their freedom. It also provided them access to more legal freedom.

Works cited

James, M. The role of Abraham Lincoln in the abolition of slavery in America, Massachusetts : Massachusetts University Press.

Berlin, I, Fields B, Miller, F.S, Joseph, P.H, Rowland, L.S, The role of African Americans in the abolition of slavery, London: Cambridge University Press.

Do you need this or any other assignment done for you from scratch?
We have qualified writers to help you.
We assure you a quality paper that is 100% free from plagiarism and AI.
You can choose either format of your choice ( Apa, Mla, Havard, Chicago, or any other)

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Click Here To Order Now!