I had heard somewhere that Abraham Lincoln had slaves, and wasn't actually really against them. Is any part of this true?
2007-02-28 06:37:35 · 8 answers · asked by Kendal 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Government
Lincoln never owned slaves. He was personally against slavery. Whoever told you this is confused, possibly by what Lincoln said about preserving the Union.
Contrary to some beliefs, Lincoln was not waging a war to end slavery but to preserve the Union. He said "If I could preserve the Union by freeing all the slaves, I would do it. If I could preserve the Union by freeing no slaves, I would keep them all in bondage. If I could preserve the Union by freeing some and leaving others enslaved, I would do that."
This does not mean that Lincoln approved of slavery.
2007-02-28 06:51:00 · answer #1 · answered by SA Writer 6 · 5⤊ 1⤋
I highly doubt that. Abraham Lincoln saw slavery since a child and did not like it. That is one point. The next point is that he was poor. He could not afford to buy or take care of a slave, especially in his younger or lawyer years.
I would like to see someone provide a reference to a claim that Lincoln had slaves before I would believe it.
2007-02-28 06:42:36 · answer #2 · answered by A.Mercer 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Lincoln never owned slaves. Though born in Kentucky, he moved to Indiana, a free state,when he was a child. When he was a young man, he helped pilot a flatboat down to New Orleans, where he saw slavery up close for the first time. It is said that he vowed at that time "If I ever have a chance to hit this [slavery] I'll hit it hard."
2007-02-28 06:41:58 · answer #3 · answered by KCBA 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
His family was poor and couldn't afford slaves when he was a child. Later on when he became a lawyer, he had no need for slaves.
He wasn't a strong abolitionist. In fact, his Emancipation Proclamation didn't affect any slaves living in states that were still in the Union. He didn't live to see the 13th Amendment enacted.
2007-02-28 06:48:41 · answer #4 · answered by chimpus_incompetus 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
http://weeklyworldnews.com/headlines/30327/lincoln-owned-slaves/
2014-01-23 05:48:45 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
He did have slaves, but he let them go or he payed them after slavery was abolished to stay on board with him.
2007-02-28 06:45:43 · answer #6 · answered by bookworm87 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋
he needed slaves like he needed a hole in the head.
get it?
2007-02-28 06:45:17 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
NO not true
2007-02-28 06:40:22 · answer #8 · answered by ? 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋