One of the readings makes an intriguing point about the different pathways that could have occurred to end the institution of slavery. The author writes how, \u201cIt would take either a full-scale slave rebellion or a full-scale war to end such a deeply entrenched system.\u201d I was aware that Lincoln\u2019s emancipation declaration was mainly political move, but I didn\u2019t realize the full extent of his decision. The reading talked about the practicality of freeing the slaves as it mentioned the growing number of slaves, a cause for concern due to past revolts, and the potential for the Union to have the black population on their side. The reasoning behind freeing the enslaved population was a political move that gave both Lincoln and the Union moral high ground in addition to changing the reason for the war from state rights to human rights.<\/p>\n
The black population was not freed because white men finally found their moral compass, but rather because the situation forced them to this decision. The reading reflects how the United states, \u201c…would end slavery only under conditions controlled by whites, and only when required by the political and economic needs of the business elite of the North. It was Abraham Lincoln who combined perfectly the needs of business, the political ambition of the new Republican party, and the rhetoric of humanitarianism.\u201d The previously mentioned elite white men changed the narrative for the emancipating the slave population to help paint themselves and the Union in a better way. These rich white men tactically supported the abolishment of slavery in order to not lose their business that depended partially on the Southern states. This reading really was eye-opening to me because I was not aware of the political reasoning and implications of the Emancipation Proclamation, and why Lincoln may have not been the social warrior that we remember him as today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
One of the readings makes an intriguing point about the different pathways that could have occurred to end the institution of slavery. The author writes…<\/p>\n