Was Lincoln a Racist?

Abraham Lincoln was the 16 president of the United States from 1861-1865. Lincoln is known mostly as the great emancipator. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, in order to free slavery. After issuing the emancipation proclamation, would you think he was a racist? Many people believe he was, but he was not. To prove his innocence of such accusation, the views of other Caucasians towards slavery and African-Americans will be discussed, as well as the actions and statements of Abraham Lincoln, regarding slavery and African-Americans before and during the Civil War.

The views of other Caucasians towards slavery and African-Americans was very simple the white race was the superior race and the black race was the opposite. For example, Lincoln said "... as much as any other man, am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race" (Jr., 2009). Slavery was accepted throughout the United States The only difference was the north did not have such labor intensive work, and did not need slavery. On the other hand, the south did need slavery because of a high demand of labor, like farming, ranching, and all the other labor intensive work.

The actions and statements of Abraham Lincoln before Civil War are very much how they seem, racist. In a speech Lincoln delivered in 1858 he says " I will say, then, that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in an any way the social and political equality of the white and the black races..." (Jr., 2009). Like many American homes at the time, Lincoln grew up to understand that the white race was the mentally and physically the superior race. The black race was only brought into slavery because they are not the superior race, mentally and physically.

As Abraham Lincoln grew older and wiser he began to see that he was taught a lie. That the black race was just as equal as the white race. In his statements and actions during the Civil War there