Lincoln As The Great Emancipat Essay, Research Paper

Abraham Lincoln is widely known as the Great Emancipator for his actions during and following the Civil War. This title, however, has been the subject of much controversy, and many people believe he does not rightly deserve it. But there does not seem to be enough support for this argument, and there are many reasons why he should maintain the nickname.

To be able to assess whether or not Lincoln deserves to be called the Great Emancipator, the definition of “great” must be examined. There are certain requirements an individual must fulfill in order to be labeled “great”. Among the many seem to personally believe in the cause you are fighting for, incorporating public opinion into decisions, and intentionally accomplishing something admirable. These points are especially noteworthy for a “great” democratic leader. Lincoln seemed to shine in all three of these aspects.

Though Lincoln may not have been completely supportive of emancipation in the beginning does not mean he was personally against it, which can be important in deciding if he is worthy of his title. If he was never morally or principally behind ending slavery, then his motives for endorsing emancipation would not so honorable. But this is not the case for Abraham Lincoln. His personal beliefs had always been opposed to slavery. He believed the Founding Fathers had put slavery on the road to extinction, and he wanted to continue it down that path. His hesitance towards emancipation was more for political reasons than anything else. He was afraid of losing much of this support, namely the Border States and the Northern Democrats. He was also extremely focused on saving the Union, which had always been his main priority. He first wanted to try a more compromising form of emancipation, including compensation and colonization. But putting unionism before emancipation does not mean he should not be thought of as great.

Lincoln was very much persuaded by the public s views when he finally decided to set the country on the road to emancipation. He waited until the opinions of Abolitionists and Radical Republicans grew strong, and the North had a war victory. People wanted the war to end as soon as possible and they began to think attacking slavery might be the manner in which to do so. Maintaining support was essential, so only when much of that support was for emancipation did he go into action. After all, pushing the country towards emancipation before it was at least starting to become ready for it would be disastrous. But this does not mean he didn t support it once he made the leap. There was still much opposition to emancipation, which Lincoln must have expected. There were many rallies against Lincoln and the war, and many Democrats who hoped to remove Lincoln from office and restore peace with the South. Some Republicans even wanted him to drop emancipation in order to save the country. Lincoln had used public opinion in his decision on what was best for the country, but he was not chained to it. He knew when to break off from following public opinion, which is essential in being a great leader.

Someone who is deemed “great” has most obviously accomplished something positive and honorable. But to receive this title of greatness, their actions must have been intentional. Accomplishments worthy of such recognition are not just stumbled upon or forced into. Although Lincoln is quoted as being unsure of himself, he demonstrated his intentions in his deliberate actions. This was why he waited to produce the Emancipation Proclamation. He wanted to make sure that such a radical step was the right thing to do, because he felt there was no turning back. Not only did he write the Emancipation Proclamation, but he was also a major contributor to the Thirteenth Amendment, and in full support of giving African Americans the right to vote (which was a very radical view at the time). These three positions by Lincoln prove how much he was growing towards abolitionism and supporting the rights of African Americans, especially in his political and public views.

Lincoln thus deserves the title of the Great Emancipator. He was the underlying cause of the release of the African Americans from slavery. He was morally and principally against slavery personally, he knew when to follow public views and when to lead them in the right direction, and he intentionally achieved honorable accomplishments. For all these reasons and more, Lincoln was rightfully dubbed the Great Emancipator.