The Evolution of Lincoln’s Views on Race and Emancipation – A Special LGDC Debate

Abraham Lincoln was not an abolitionist. His early views on race and emancipation mirrored the general views of most of the white populace in the early to middle 19^th century. “He was a product of his times” is a common refrain from historians and the public. Former president Barack Obama is not alone in suggesting Lincoln was not a perfect man or perfect president. Lerone Bennett went so far as to suggest Lincoln was a racist who was "Forced into Glory." What we do know is that Lincoln at times supported gradual emancipation and colonization. He has been accused of being tentative, slow to emancipate when the war started, and then only issued the Emancipation Proclamation as a war measure rather than as a moral position. Yet, most historians say that Lincoln evolved into a man more adamant about ending slavery and bringing about some degree of civil and moral equality.…