![]() ![]() ![]() Lincoln struggled to articulate a vision for how free Black Americans could integrate into white-dominated U.S. He made this point clear during his famed debates against rival Stephen A. Nonetheless, despite his deep opposition to slavery, Lincoln did not believe in racial equality. Nearly two decades later, he continued to reject it on moral and political grounds: As early as 1837, when addressing Congress as a newly-elected member of the Illinois General Assembly, the 28-year-old Lincoln proclaimed the institution to be “founded on both injustice and bad policy.” Not exactly.įrom the onset, Lincoln always opposed the idea and existence of slavery. It might seem that the author of the Emancipation Proclamation, the president hailed as “the Great Liberator,” would have clear and consistent views on racial justice and equality. READ MORE: Was Abraham Lincoln an Atheist? On Racial Inequality Instead of dismissing the allegation, as he might have before, the future President wrote a public message directly to his constituency to deny any disrepect, while still avoiding pinning himself down to one personal faith:īy his first inauguration, Lincoln had evolved to making full-throated avowals of faith, even declaring that adherence to Christianity was critical to the Union's survival. Lincoln won that House seat three years later, but not without his opponent, a revivalist preacher, accusing him of being a religious scoffer. House of Representatives in 1843, a worried Lincoln expressed fears that his lack of religiosity might have been to blame: After failing to win election to the U.S. This lack of clarity on his beliefs-Was he an atheist? A skeptic?-proved a political liability early on. At times, wrote Lincoln scholar Allen Guelzo, “He would actually be aggressive on the subject of unbelief,” asserting that the Bible was just a book or that Jesus was an illegitimate child. ![]() By alluding to the Declaration of Independence, he redefined the war as a struggle not just to preserve the Union, but for the fundamental principle of human freedom.Ī letter from Abraham Lincoln written to General George McClellan On Religionĭuring his younger years, the future President remained notoriously noncommital on the topic of religion-so much so that even his close friends were unable to verify his personal faith. history, Lincoln delivered his brief, 272-word address at the dedication of the Gettysburg battlefield, the site of more than 50,000 casualties. The Gettysburg Address: Hailed as one of the most important speeches in U.S. During his first address as president, he tried to assure the South that slavery would not be interfered with, and to quiet the drumbeat of war by appealing to “the better angels of our nature.” The 'Better Angels of Our Nature' speech: By the time Lincoln was first sworn into office, seven states had already seceded from the Union. Many criticized this speech as radical, believing-mistakenly-that Lincoln was advocating for war. The ‘House Divided’ Speech: As America expanded West and fought bitterly over whether new territories could extend the practice of slavery, Lincoln spoke out about what he saw as a growing threat to the Union. Here are a few excerpts of Lincoln’s writings, both famous and lesser-known. His prose, infused with his deep love of poetry, helped him in his efforts to reach-and heal-a fractured nation. He penned some of America’s most monumental expressions of statecraft, such as the Gettysburg Address, widely hailed for its eloquence and clarity of thought. His writings show how his thoughts on the thorny issues of the day-like slavery, religion and national discord-evolved over time. ![]() While he often expressed himself with humor and folksy wisdom, Lincoln wasn’t afraid to wade into lofty territory. “If the special genius of America was that it provided an environment in which ‘every man can make himself,’ as Lincoln believed, pen and ink were the tools with which he did his self-carpentering.” “Words were Lincoln’s way up and out of the grinding poverty into which he had been born,” wrote historian and author Geoffrey Ward. There’s perhaps no better way to grasp Abraham Lincoln’s outsized American legacy than through his writing.įrom his time as a twenty-something political hopeful to his tragic death, Lincoln was a voluminous writer, authoring hundreds of letters, speeches, debate arguments and more.ĭespite very little formal schooling, the 16th president was an avid reader who from a young age understood the transformative power of words. ![]()
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