Were Black Northerners against Abraham Lincoln for president? If so, why?

Answer 1

Strangely, there were some Blacks who were against Lincoln for various reasons, but they were in the minority (pun NOT intended).

You have to remember that Lincoln's original plans for freeing the slaves included sending them all to another country once they were free... he never intended for Black people to remain in the U.S. once they were emancipated. Obviously, some of the Black people where would have been effected by this policy were against Lincoln's plans.

You also have to keep in mind that the Civil War was NOT fought over slavery, it was fought over STATE'S RIGHTS... the Emancipation Proclaimation was used by Lincoln in an attempt to scare the southern states back into the union... when it failed... he freed the Slaves. It's only been the people who have re-written history who have made Slavery the primary reason for that terrible conflict but the historical record says differently.

Answer 2

I'm not really sure how blacks in the North felt about Lincoln before he became President, but having said that, it's instructive to note a few things:

1. Lincoln's purpose in the Civil War wasn't to free the slaves, at least not in the beginning. He only intended to hold the Union together. In a letter to Horace Greeley, Lincoln famously wrote, "If I could preserve the Union without freeing a single slave, I would do so; if I could do it by freeing all the slaves, I would do so; and if I could do it by freeing some and leaving others in chains, I would do that too." That's not a direct quote, but it's effectively what he said.

2. The purpose of the Emancipation Proclamation wasn't quite as noble as it looks today. After Confederate victories in 1861 and '62, Britain and France were considering involving themselves in the war, and not on the side of the Union. They feared a powerful United States, and if it split into two, this would effectively dilute American power. However, both nations were dead set against slavery, so the Proclamation made it morally impossible for them to side with the slave-holding South.

3. As another answerer noted, Lincoln's plan for the freed slaves was to return them to Africa. Indeed, some did so, which is where the nation of Liberia comes from.

Answer 3

Every northern black just like every northern white was not against or in favor of Lincoln. Lincoln was the first uneducated president to run. His ideas were going to turn everyone lives upside down. Every slave did not want to be free - which is why many stayed where they were after freedom was given. Every slave was not mistreated. Slavery was horribly wrong but many had grown up with it & knew no other way. Not the same anagoly but I can not think of another right now (headache), but speeding kills but many of you grew up with famiest that speeds so you will take the chance of killing someone because you do not see speeding as wrong. I on the other hand will not take a chance on your life by speeding. 34 years of driving & never a speeding ticket - I do not speed - my Mother never had a ticket. It is a lame comparison because slavery was so much worse than anything I could think of - but I hope you get the point. Generations teach other generations on what is acceptable. Lincoln was a free thinker, proably because he was uneducated.

Answer 4

There is a major misconception that the civil war was fought "primarily" over slavery/race, hence the thought that any "black northerners" against Lincoln is absurd. How could anyone sell out their own race - and so many? Well, the answer to your question is "yes" - many were very much against him. Remember this: "It's the ecomony, stupid". We still use that line today.

There was an ongoing and growing conflict between northern and southern states over the hotly debated issue of states sovereignty (and in that its economic sovereignty). In other words, could the US remain a "union" if South Carolina, for example, was able to dictate its governing policy in SC if it was in direct opposition to the federal government? Basically, the war came down to whether or not a state had the right to protect and serve its own constituencies "needs" while such things were against the good of the union as a whole.

Using your terms, the so-called “black northerners" may have appeared to be against Abraham Lincoln due to their weak involvement (passionately pro or against) southern matters. Black Americans, in the northern states, practiced many trades which didn't require a lot of education – mostly because they were so deprived of education. The trades they engaged in provided a good living and created tremendous service in their respective socioeconomic sectors of the north. As a matter of fact, some did so well pre war that "black northerners", who owned land, enslaved their own "black" neighbors until the war officially broke out. (See US census records) This seems to indicate a policy of "greed" or "survival of the fittest". World history provides detailed accounts of serfdom taking place in all cultures in which the owner and slave were of the same race.

Though no one in their right mind would suggest that black northerners were on equal footing with their caucasian counterparts, it does appear that many did well enough, $$$, to be, for the most part, unconcerned with the plight of the southern members of their race, who, indeed, suffered greatly. Their interest, like most others of the day, was focused more on perfecting their trade, raising their family and their wealth by moving up the socioeconomic ladder, even if it was 1 or 2 rungs below all of the white class. Even in such dark times, the American dream was alive and well and many wanted even a small stake in it.

There are many books and theories available on this issue. I would be careful in what you choose. Research the author and be sure to see where they lie politically. You can find someone who writes the past with an unbiased opinion. Like most other sensitive topics, many books are written with a present day political agenda in mind rather than with the intent of providing a historical view of attitudes, class, and values of a particular people or place in time.

PS Many who answered your question decided that voting ability/inability makes your question moot. I whole heartedly disagree with their logic. Many who abstain from voting today (or who are without proper legal status) are still opinionated and/or engaged in the political, ecomonic, and social climate of today.

Answer 5

No, simply because black northerners had a variety of opinions on the subject so they couldn't ALL be against Abraham Lincoln.

Answer 6

Blacks had no vote in the north or south. Northerners who did not support Lincoln or the Union cause were called Copperheads.

Answer 7

Oh those men the place some distance from being any sort of Saints . They abused women persons and slaves and workers and after the civil conflict supported separate yet equivalent all the way down to the final days interior the Nineteen Sixties and nonetheless to on the present time in user-friendly terms meet the standards of the regulation and do what they could to circumvent equivalent danger regulations that the place designed to combine each and every person into the artwork place . They meet this by making use of numbers in user-friendly terms and not danger . Wall mart could ought to hire minorities yet you will locate very few of them in any place of authority over white people . each and every person i'm particular can factor out the only guy on the city who's black who's the assistant supervisor at a grocery or chain of handy shops yet one in 3 ought to have a supervisor and cashier on shift and this basically isn't the case . I even have been contained available to purchase with the bullet evidence glass the place ninety 9% of the purchasers are minority's and a white guy is sitting at the back of the glass . sell colt 40 5 blunts snacks and gas . Or worse some foreigner Who expenditures $3.00 for a 22oz while the different place expenditures $a million.50 . Racism and sexism is alive and thriving in united states of america in the present day . I under no circumstances stated the shown fact that girls persons earn everywhere from 6-25% much less then men do . the government data are for government jobs which do pay equivalent wages with women persons incomes in user-friendly terms a million-3% much less then male counter areas . think of that this u . s . a . is a sack of lies waiting for persons to open up and superb . What replace into it six months in the past some 80 3 year previous blind woman in a wheelchair replace into gunned down in her very own residence by making use of police in atlanta . no longer formerly she controlled to shoot one in all them . sturdy for her and if people began shooting the police down extra often issues could replace . .

Answer 8

I believe that Northern Blacks were more concerned about what came first the chicken or the egg. Remember Blacks at that time were of two types. Slaves or freemen. Neither had the right to vote yet. This being so , your question is moot.

Answer 9

Yes, they couldn't vote, as of yet, but men like Douglas were highly effective in influencing Lincoln. One innovation was that new states woul not be allowed to extend slavery.

Answer 10

I never heard of if they supported him or not. But they sure as hell did not want southern blacks moving to the north