Stephen Oates, “Lincoln’s Journey to Emancipation”

Volume 1, Portrait of America

1. At the start of the Civil War, according to Lincoln, why was the North fighting the South?

2. Describe Lincoln’s personality and background. What fears and superstitions did he have, was he proud of his humble background, did he have a sense of humor, what was his relationship with his father?

3. What were Lincoln’s view on drinking, women’s suffrage, and the Declaration of Independence?

4. Why did Lincoln fail to speak out against slavery during his early political career even though he felt it “mocked and contradicted” (pg 368) the Declaration of Independence?

5. Prior to 1854, how did Lincoln propose that slavery would end? Did he feel that the Founding Fathers would agree with him? Where did Lincoln feel that freed blacks should go following emancipation?

6. What events forced Lincoln to take a stronger stand against slavery after 1854?

7. Did Lincoln initially believe that whites and blacks could live together “in perfect equality” (pg 371)? When he was elected president, did Lincoln propose to end slavery in the South? Why did the South fail to trust him?

8. What did Lincoln mean by “slave containment” (pg 373)? When the Civil War began, what factors encouraged him to maintain that this was a fight to save the Union and not free slaves? Did Charles Sumner agree?

9. What plan did Lincoln present to the border states in March, 1862? How did the border states respond? Why does the author believe that this was a crucial turning point for Lincoln?

10. In what part of the South did the Emancipation Proclamation apply? Why did William Seward convince Lincoln to delay the announcement? What was the Northern reaction to the Emancipation Proclamation? How did the announcement affect the “Union war machine” (pg 378)?

11. Why did Lincoln’s colonization plan fail?

12. How did the Thirteenth Amendment go beyond Emancipation Proclamation in guaranteeing an end to slavery?

13. Examine the pictures of Lincoln on page 381 without looking at the caption. How many years older does Lincoln look on the picture to the right?

14. Does the Lincoln that Oates describes fit the image of the man who you studied in school? If you feel that he falls short of that image, do you still admire him?