Abraham Lincoln's Assassination

On June 16, 1858 made the statement “a house divided against itself cannot stand,” in a speech about slavery, deeply contrasting with Douglas’s views and speaking about the conspiracy of the democratic plot to get slavery legalized in every state. This conspiracy, of course, was being partly conspired by Stephen Douglas. Three weeks later, Stephen Douglas refuted these claims while also calling Abraham Lincoln a dangerous abolitionist (Looking for Lincoln). Being an abolitionist at the time held a very negative connotation because abolitionists were often irrational extremists (Morel 4). The following evening, in the exact same place as Douglas had spoken, Lincoln spoke once more.

However, it is important to note that the Republicans were not abolitionists, they had no intention of attacking slavery where it already existed, they were only seeking to prevent it’s spread. They would soon realize that these two separate systems would prove to be completely incompatible within a single nation.

The freedom of America’s slaves has always been accredited to Abraham Lincoln, but he was not always the complete abolitionist as he is commonly portrayed. The “house divided”, as Lincoln depicts it in his famous ‘House Divided’ speech, of the United States during the Civil War, was not always lead towards the freedom of all mankind, and there is sufficient evidence to support this claim. The sixteenth president is most commonly remembered for inducing the courage and determination to end the Civil War, with the Emancipation Proclamation, although when it more closely studied he did not cross the great divide of enslavement vs. freedom with the submittal of that fabled document. When following the many famous quotes and speeches of Lincoln’s life, it appears that he was against all slavery and bondage. At the same time, when more closely examined, the quotes and speeches actually leaned towards his lack of strong opinion on the outcome of slavery. Lincoln is perceived as the most famous revolutionary of American history, but he does not live up to his legacy of being the eradicator of forced servitude.

This quote made a clear point of how Lincoln views slavery and how he wants to end slavery in the United Sates. Also he says that “we must not interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it exists, because the constitution forbids it, and the general welfare does not require us to do” (Various Lincoln Statements). Lincoln did not want any change that he would make to challenge slavery in the confederate states because it was forbidden by the constitution.

Lincoln believes you cannot vote upon a moral issue such as enslaving another human being. Douglas, however, argued the principle of popular sovereignty is in accordance with the foundation of the union and its founders. He believed it to be just to it up to the people to vote on the issue of slavery. Lincoln argues, “If the negro is a man, why then my ancient faith teaches me that

The United States would not be the same today if Abraham Lincoln was never assassinated on the unfortunate night of April 14, 1865. His killer, John Wilkes Booth, had a strong resent for the Union that subsequently caused a dramatic shift in history. This hatred was caused by many factors, such as his background and where he grew up, his lust for power and fame, and his mental illness. John Wilkes Booth, a master assassinator and conspirator, hoped to strengthen the confederacy by killing Abraham Lincoln. However, this murder created an even stronger opposition to the South than ever before.

Douglas begins the debate with an excerpt from one of Lincoln’s own speeches from the Springfield convention, “I believe this Government cannot endure permanently half Slave and half Free,” (Lincoln-Douglas 1858). Going on to explain the significance of this excerpt, Douglas states, “He says that it has existed for about seventy years thus divided, and yet he tells you that it cannot endure permanently on the same principles and in the same relative condition in which our fathers made it,” (Lincoln-Douglas 1858). The use of this excerpt from Lincoln’s speech from the Springfield convention, was so the voters would second guess Lincoln’s views. The point that Douglas is trying to prove is if the country has lasted seventy years on the same principles as when it was founded then why should the country change now?

After a while, the two sections of the United States had gotten so tense that Thomas Jefferson had described the dispute such as “a fire bell in the night”. The Dredd Scott case played a massive impact in the beginning of the civil war. The Dredd Scott was a major turning point in history mainly because the supreme court ruled that Africans could not be American Citizens and many of Americans, majority from the north, did not agree to such a statement. As a result, the north was the first to react to the case demanding corrective action. Many of the Americans in the north protested by writing articles stating that congress is corrupt and the feasible solution is to end slavery all

Throughout the 1800’s there were many crucial debates on the idea of slavery. One of the biggest controversies in this time was the Kansas-Nebraska act, passed in May of 1854. The act was the deciding factor of if Nebraska and Kansas would be a slave or free state, it would later repeal the Missouri Compromise. Lincoln was considered a very moral man, he used his political power for what he believed in. Lincoln would be considered a strong advocate for the abolitionist movement. Although with this Lincoln did share the racial views of his time, he still spoke out against slavery and was considered to free slaves. Lincoln’s good out ways his bad in the questions between emancipator and racist, Abraham Lincoln will always be thought of as the

Before engaging in the debates with Senator Stephen A. Douglas, Lincoln was relatively unknown in the political world and was just beginning his career in politics. Abraham Lincoln’s reputation was just starting to grow, and his life was about to make a drastic change. The Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 were a turning point in Abraham Lincoln’s political career.

He wanted slavery to fully abolished. This is what he set out to do with the rest of his

Stephen Douglas was the senator that introduced the Kansas Nebraska bill. He personally was not a huge fan of slavery but, he felt that it was necessary that the issue should be addressed by the public rather than the government. He also invoked popular sovereignty, “is the principle that the authority of a state and its government is created and sustained by the consent of its people, through their elected representatives (Rule by the People), who are the source of all political power” (wikipedia.com). He also received deals from southern leaders that they would promote his central route if he would allow slavery in new territories (history.com). Another fun fact about senator Douglas is that he was the democratic nominee for president; but lost to Abraham Lincoln (wikipedia.com).

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States of America. He was elected into presidency on November 6, 1860. Many of the southern states were unsupportive of Lincoln becoming president because he had run on an anti-slavery platform. Lincoln being elected into presidency caused states such as South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas to split from the Union. In his inaugural address Lincoln proclaimed it was his duty to maintain the Union; a month later the Civil War began. Although Lincoln did many great things for our country, his vital role in the Civil War is what most likely lead to his assassination.

The freedom of America’s slaves has always been accredited to Abraham Lincoln, but he was not always the complete abolitionist as he is commonly portrayed. The “house divided”, as Lincoln depicts it in his famous ‘House Divided’ speech, of the United States during the Civil War, was not always lead towards the freedom of all mankind, and there is sufficient evidence to support this claim. The sixteenth president is most commonly remembered for inducing the courage and determination to end the Civil War, with the Emancipation Proclamation, although when it more closely studied he did not cross the great divide of enslavement vs. freedom with the submittal of that fabled document. When following the many famous quotes and speeches of Lincoln’s life, it appears that he was against all slavery and bondage. Although when they are more closely examined, the quotes and speeches actually leaned towards his lack of strong opinion on the outcome of slavery. Lincoln is perceived as the most famous revolutionary of American history, but he does not live up to his legacy of being the eradicator of forced servitude.

Abraham Lincoln was a self-educated lawyer who did not support slavery. He surprised many people when he became the 16th President mainly because he beat out several promising contenders. During the Civil War Lincoln became quite brilliant with military strategy and an excellent wartime leader. With the Union on the brink of victory Lincoln became a martyr when he was shot and killed by a Confederate sympathizer by the name of John Wilkes Booth. Over time Lincoln became known as one of the greatest Presidents of all time.