February 13, 2021

Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation

Many people view Abraham Lincoln as the “Emancipator” and a great helper of racial equality. It is believed that he aided the steps to abolishing slavery in America. He did, in fact, sign the Emancipation Proclamation that legally eradicated slavery but like any other law or policy, it is insignificant without enforcement. Why would Lincoln sign the proclamation without intent of it benefitting African Americans and slaves? I answer this with another question: Were Abraham Lincoln’s actions directed towards racial equality?

Starting with the Emancipation Proclamation, it is believed by many that Lincoln signed it to help give rights to African Americans, beginning with freeing slaves. However, the proclamation was actually made as a threat to rebel states. Abraham Lincoln threatened them that if they did not rejoin the Union by the end of the year, he would free all the slaves in the South. This was an idea that those in the Confederate were scared of: the fact that African Americans would be free. Industries of southern states were also built on slaves’ productivity, therefore, the threat of taking away slaves would force the South to have to find another way to sustain themselves, or reassemble with the Union. Threatening rebel states with the proclamation was a good military strategy, despite the fact that it didn’t work, but that is all that it was: a military strategy. If the purpose of the Emancipation Proclamation was truly for racial equality, there would have been no reason to wait to sign it.

Along with the reasoning for the proclamation, there was a lack of enforcement once it was signed. Legally, slaves were freed and began gaining rights to work and vote yet southern states were able to pass laws and policies to restrict the rights of blacks again. The fact that there was enough space in the law for states to pass Jim Crow Laws and Black Codes shows that the Emancipation Proclamation was enforced very lightly, if that at all. These racist laws took back colored rights to vote, work, and have a sustainable life, not to mention the criminal aspect of them. Blacks were arrested and forced to work for the smallest misdemeanors, thus, a new legal system of slavery. Sharecropping was another way that southerners went around the 13th Amendment by having African Americans work on a farm owned by a white man and owing some of their crops to them at the end of the year. The amount of exceptions and opportunities for a different label on slavery proves that the Emancipation Proclamation was not enforced enough, and it does not seem that it was intended to be either.

The Civil War started because of the many differences between the South and the North, however, it ended up as a dispute over slavery. With such a meaningful purpose of the war, it would make sense for there to be significant consequences following the end of it. Yet when it was time to make decisions about how to allow rebel states back in the Union, they were allowed with little agreement. States only needed 10% of their voter population to vow their allegiance with the Union in order for all the states to be let back in. Although there were different leaders for these states that were originally apart of the Union, they slowly transitioned back to Confederate leaders adding to the fact that there remained many loopholes that existing in the Constitution revolving around slavery and black rights. The fact that states were let back into the Union so easily after the war displays Lincoln’s lack of concern and understanding of the true meaning of the war. The war virtually ended slavery but while Lincoln was focused on rejoining the country together, he seemingly forgot that fact. His highest concern was clearly about the country itself rather than solving the problem of slavery within it. The fact that there were no further steps towards racial equality by Lincoln after the Emancipation Proclamation backs up this point.

So, were Abraham Lincoln’s actions directed towards racial equality? Personally, I do not see how he fought in many ways for black rights or that his actions can be justified that way. Despite the fact that history is in the past, I can’t help but ponder if racial issues in modern day society would be better or different if Lincoln had done more during the Civil War and Reconstruction era. Abraham Lincoln spoke to so many solely for the reason that he was president throughout the war. This shows how much influence a president can have on its citizens. President Donald Trump has led a setback of civil rights for quite a few years based on how spoke to citizens of America. African Americans are still being arrested and charged more harshly for minor crimes and offenses. Police brutality towards blacks has especially been a big issue in the past year. How a leader of a country behaves reflects on the future of the country and the people in it. Abraham Lincoln’s lack of leadership towards racial equality led the country down a path of slow progress for civil rights.