The Modern Republican Party

Lincoln described the problem of ending slavery during the Civil war as “slippery” because the only time you can seize property from other nations is at war. Abolitionists wanted to take slaves—which were property—to the North so they could be free. However, Northerners had no authority to take slaves from the South because it wasn’t a nation. The federal government had no say in what state laws said unless an Amendment was passed, changing the Constitution, therefore nullifying state laws. Lincoln wanted to pass the 13th Amendment during the war because courts could decide that freed slaves would have to go back to slavery after it, making the Emancipation Proclamation have no

Economic Ideas: Believe taxes shouldn't be increased for anyone (including the wealthy) and that wages should be set by the free market.

On July 4th 1862, the confederates surrendered the town of Vicksburg to Ulysses S. Grant. This influenced Lincoln to make the biggest decision of his life. He delivered the Emancipation Proclamation on November 19th, 1863, saying the nation’s fundamental goal is that all men are created equal. He states in the speech, “The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract.” He wants the country to understand that we are starting something new. The soldiers have struggled to recreate our country, and that the country needs to take advantage of this opportunity. He has now committing himself to getting rid of slavery. On January 31, 1865, Congress officially ends slavery with the thirteenth amendment. The thirteenth amendment states, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” After many years, slavery has finally ended. Lincoln passed the thirteenth amendment, meaning slavery can no longer exist in his country. This will help recreate the country that has been broken for many years. From February 1863 through April 1865, Lincoln believed the best way for this country to unite was without slavery, contradicting what he believed from the start of his senate race to Post First

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.

“The modern Democratic Party is the descendant of the Democratic-Republican Party, an early-nineteenth-century political organization led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Also known as the Jeffersonian Republican Party, the Democratic-Republican Party began as an antifederalist group, opposed to strong, centralized government. The party was officially established at a national nominating convention in 1832. It dropped the Republican portion of its name in 1840.” As stated in the free dictionary’s definition of the democratic party. The Democrat and Republican parties have differences as well as similarities such as their views on government decisions.

In document A , Lincoln's speech to Congress, he states, " I recommend the adoption of a joint resolution by your honorable bodies...", Lincoln one of the union and the South to become one, but by abolishing slavery, it created many states to be angry, so it wasn't really bringing people together at all. " resolved, that the United States are to cooperate with any state which may adopt gradual abolishment of slavery..." Lincoln realize that it would cause tension between states, that he needed them to cooperate. " the federal government would find its highest interest in such a measure as one of the most efficient means of self-preservation." Lincoln gave evidence from the federal government stating that this is the easiest, and best way to preserve the Union.

With the eruption of the Civil War came one of the biggest tribulations and trials that this country has ever faced, but as we understand the motives of one of the greatest Presidents in American History we can see that the Civil War was inevitable. From his original intentions of merely preserving the Union and holding the country together, to permanently abolishing slavery we can observe why prevailing in the struggle of the Civil War is one of Lincoln’s defining legacies. Thus, as the civil war draws to a close, an old tumultuous era has ended, and a new more prosperous era has

The Emancipation Proclamation is centered on the concept of freeing the slaves; however, the proclamation did not actually free any slaves but had a greater goal of preserving the Union through European alliance. The Emancipation Proclamation did not free slaves in Union controlled lands but instead freed the slaves where the federal government had no real power. At his inauguration, Lincoln even stated that he has “no lawful right [to] interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it [already] exists.” Furthermore, Lincoln revealed, in a letter to Horace Greeley that slavery is not even a primary focus of his political agenda when he stated “my paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and it is not either to save or destroy slavery.” This letter also emphasizes Lincoln’s chief interest during the American Civil War – to maintain the Union. Therefore, Lincoln himself indicated that the Emancipation Proclamation’s purpose was to preserve the Union by successfully aiding in closing the door to European intervention in the South.

When elected, President Lincoln vowed to prevent the extension of slavery. As a result, the Southerners chose secession, while Northerners believed that the collapse of Union would destroy the possibility of a democratic republican government. This resulted in the Civil War, which lead to the end of slavery in the United States. Throughout the war, there was much debate over whether or not the Civil War was about slavery or the Union. Lincoln first rejected the end of slavery as a goal of the war, but slave escapes in the South bothered Lincoln. The Union’s fate was at stake and Lincoln’s major goal of the war was to save the Union. Lincoln finally surrendered to the pressure of antislavery republicans, making the Civil War mainly about slavery, and seeing slave abolition as a way to end the rebellion and protect the Union. Abraham Lincoln created the proclamation of emancipation in July 1862, which called for an end to slavery. The proclamation was issued on September 22, basing its legal authority on his responsibility to suppress the rebellion and was signed by Lincoln on January 1, 1863. After the war, abolitionists were concerned that the Emancipation Proclamation would be forgotten about, so they pressured the congress to pass a law that would finally abominate slavery. In January 1865 the Congress approved the Thirteenth Amendment to ending slavery, and sent it to the states

Slavery was a crucial issue on the Union 's diplomatic front with Britain. Lincoln realized that he could use emancipation as a weapon of war as the war was now primarily being fought over slavery. He also wanted to satisfy his own personal hope that everyone everywhere would eventually be free. So in June 1862, Congress passed a law prohibiting slavery in the territories. Lincoln issued the final form of his Emancipation Proclamation (Document F). It stated, “slaves within any State...shall be then, thencefoward, and forever free.” The proclamation had a powerful symbolic effect. It broadened the base of the war by turning it in to a fight for unity.

The Democrats of the Civil War era held the ideologies of today’s Republicans.They wanted lower taxes and lower national debt, but also did not favor government- enforced social policy. The Republicans of Lincoln’s time were pro-north, pro-federal power, and pro-taxes. They held the beliefs of today’s modern Democrats. The Pre-1964 Democrats were pro-limited government, no central bank, pro states’ rights, and pro-farmer. The Pre-1964 Republicans were anti-slavery, pro-globalization and trade, central bank, big government, and big business. The Pre-1964 Republicans modeled the Post- 1964 Democrats, and the Pre-1964 Democrats modeled the Post-1964 Republicans (DeMichele). When it comes to race, the Republicans took liberal stances until the 1960’s, when the Democrats became the party who took the liberal stances. In fact, every pre-Civil War President took a proslavery stance (Boyd). The Republican party was actually the leading progressive party in civil rights before 1964. The Democrats and Republicans

However, the Emancipation Proclamation did not free all slaves in the United States. It declared that only slaves living in states not under Union control be free. This officially changed the purpose of the Civil War. The North was no longer only fighting to preserve the Union but also to end slavery. The Civil War continued for the next four years, ending on April 9, 1865. Legal freedom for all slaves did not come until the final passage of the Thirteenth Amendment in December of 1865. President Lincoln was a strong supporter of the Thirteenth Amendment; however, he was assassinated before its final presentation.

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.

Lincoln states "If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I could by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that." Lincoln was strictly for the Union and if he could save the Union and end slavery he would, but his first thoughts were for the Union, and only the Union. He deals with slavery in this manner because he does not want to upset or cause turmoil in the South. Even though the Civil War was going on, he wants it to end and the Union to be whole.

Lincoln held firm to the idea that the United States’ defining quality was its uniquely democratic government. The Constitution was cherished by Lincoln, and it was for the preservation of this document that Lincoln was willing to carry out whatever task necessary. However, Lincoln’s interpretation of the Constitution legitimized the ownership of slaves, and he was not willing to sidestep the constitution unless it became absolutely necessary to do so (as a war measure). Only after the United States had been immutably split and hundreds of thousands of lives had been lost did Lincoln finally take decisive action.