Lincoln as the Great Emancipat essays

Lincoln as the Great Emancipat essays 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 t ...