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Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln – Douglas Debates
• Lincoln – Douglas Debates – August 21st to October 15th,
1858
– Stephen Douglas was one of the only democrats who was
popular in the north and the south. He was running for election
in the Senate as a representative from Illinois
– Douglas believed that Popular Sovereignty was the proper way
to deal with slavery – it was democratic and it was implemented
at the local level, allowing regions to decide on the issue – thus
limiting animosity felt from control by a central authority
– The state Republican party of Illinois nominated Abraham
Lincoln as their contender to office
– Lincoln disliked slavery but was not an abolitionist. He believed
the two races could not coexist as equal, but he did oppose the
expansion of slaver into new territories. He assumed slavery
would eventually die out in the south as it had done in the
north. He did not blame slaveholders for slavery – he felt it was
a historical problem beyond their control
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– The two represented different contrast
• Lincoln – tall, somber and simplistic. Wore a simple suit that was a
but run down that showed his simple roots
• Stephen- Short, aggressive, and complicated. Wore the finest
clothes that showed his power and ambition
– Lincoln slavery would expand into the new territories
regardless of popular sovereignty because of the Dred
Scott Ruling
– Douglas tried to paint Lincoln as radical abolitionist who
believed in the equal existence of blacks and whites –
Lincoln objected by stating that the races were different
and that prevented them from being politically and socially
equal, but that they did deserve an equal right to freedom
and the fruits of their labor
– Lincoln lost the election despite his party receiving the
majority of votes. The debates gave Lincoln a national
identity – positive in the north, negative in the south.
Lincoln’s House Divided Speech
• Read Lincoln’s Housed Divided Speech and then answer
the following questions.
1 Why did Lincoln make this speech?
2 What was Lincoln’s profession before this speech?
What were his politics before the speech?
3 What does Lincoln mean by a “House Divided” and the
“Government cannot endure”?
4 What two “machinery” does Lincoln mention, and how
did they impact slavery?
5 What do you think Lincoln meant by “Welcome, or
unwelcome, such a decision is probably coming…”?
6 Who do you think people in the south reacted to this
speech? How about the North?
Lincoln’s First Inauguration Speech
• Read Lincoln’s first inauguration Speech and then answer
the following questions.
1 Under what circumstances did Lincoln make this speech?
2 What is Lincoln’s position on slavery as stated in the
speech? What does Lincoln say is proof of his position?
3 What did Lincoln consider the “gravest of crimes”?
4 What was Lincoln’s positioning on the Fugitive Slave Law?
5 What does Lincoln mean by preserve, protect, and
defend?
6 How does Lincoln try to convince the southern states
from secession?
7 Why do you think the Southern States did not believe
Lincoln
Emancipation Proclamation
• Lincoln kept captured or runaway slaves once the Civil War began.
Was convinced they would be used to help the Confederate States,
and believed the Fugitive Slaves Laws didn’t apply to territories that
were in rebellion.
• England was showing support of the Confederacy. England need
southern cotton, and a divided US would help maintain its position
as the worlds power. Lincoln realized he must change his tactics
and prevent England from siding with the south.
• By issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, the war became about
slavery and England, being opposed to slavery, would not support
the south in a war for slavery.
• EP also brought nobility and a higher purpose to the war. It
provided a rational as to why they were fighting. The original
purpose was to preserve the union, but people felt that the south
wasn’t worth keeping, now, northerners had their purpose, to free
those held in bondage. Morale improved
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• Lincoln said, “My paramount object in this struggle is to
save the union, and is not either to save or to destroy
slavery, if I could save the union without freeing any slave I
would do it, if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would
do it, and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving
others alone, I would also do that”.
• Lincoln agree to wait until the union had a victory until he
issued the EP, if not then it would seem as a measure of last
resort
• African Americans welcomed EP and many did their part to
help the union in the war. Free and runaway slaves joined
the union army, or worked as laborers for the war cause.
Slaves in the south sabotaged the plantations they worked
on and cause other forms of disruptions.
• Copperheads – antiwar democrats, who became angry with
Lincoln when war shifted to free slaves and not to preserve
the union. Wanted war to end as a result.
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• Read the Emancipation Proclamation and then
answer the following questions.
1 Why did Lincoln issue the Emancipation
Proclamation under his authority as commander
in chief?
2 Why did Lincoln free only those slaves in areas in
rebellion against the United States? Why didn’t
he free slaves in areas not in rebellion?
3 What request did Lincoln make of the newly
freed slaves, and what opportunity did he offer
them?
4 How do you think the south reacted to this
proclamation?
Assassination
• John Wilkes Booth was an actor, who believed in the
institutions of white supremacy and slavery. He did not
fight in the war, but plotted against the Union on several
occasions. His most successful ploy against the union was
Lincoln’s Assignation
• Confederate surrender drove John Wilkes Booth over the
edge, and he decided to demonstrate on final act against
the Union
• Lincoln was not the only target on April 14th 1865.
Secretary of State William Seward and VP Andrew Johnson
were also to be targeted. Seward survived his attack and
Johnson’s attacker was to frightened to go through with it.
• While attending a play at Fords Theater with his wife, a
drunk John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln in the back of the
head. Lincoln died the following morning.
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• During his escape Booth broke his leg as he jumped to
the stage. Despite this fact, it took the authorities 12
days to find him. They found in him in a tobacco barn,
when he refused to surrender they shot him in the
neck. Booth said he didn’t want to live in a world
without war, or and blamed Lincoln for the south’s fall.
• Eight people were convicted in plotting with John
Wilkes Booth. Four died by hanging.
• Lincoln was buried in Springfield Ill. His body followed
the same route he took to Washington five years
earlier to accept the presidency. It stopped at various
places and allowed mourners to visit the fallen
president. The journey lasted 16 days.