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Abraham Lincoln’s Views on Slavery Weren’t as Simple as We’ve All Been Taught
His own words show an inner conflict
For over 150 years, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln has been referred to as the Great Emancipator, and with good reason. The Emancipation Proclamation he issued on January 1, 1863, may be the third-most significant document in the history of the United States, after only the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. For Black Americans, then and now, its importance surpasses even those two, for obvious reasons.
Over the past century-and-a-half, however, we have seen a shift in wording about Lincoln that needs to be addressed. Many people, including many historians, have used the word “emancipator” and “abolitionist” interchangeably, and while the Emancipation Proclamation did indeed abolish slavery (though not to the extent many believe), that does not automatically mean Lincoln was an ardent abolitionist.
Does this matter 160 years later as we still struggle with the stain the sin of slavery has left on our nation? As far as the effort to eradicate racism in the United States, no. At the same time, we cannot move forward honestly if we hold to a distorted or revisionist version of our past, and thus from a historical standpoint it does indeed matter.
