Abraham Lincoln was one of the greatest in American history, he led the Union in the Civil War to maintain the unity of the country, and also issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which fought for freedom and equality for black people. However, what was the fundamental purpose of Lincoln's emancipation of black slaves?Is it out of moral considerations, or is it out of interests?This is a long-standing debate in the field of history, and this article will look at this issue from different angles and put forward its own views.
First of all, we cannot deny that Lincoln was a staunch anti-slavery man, he was disgusted and disgusted by slavery from a young age, and he believed that slavery was contrary to the principle of "all men are created equal" in the founding philosophy of the United States, and he once said, "If slavery is not wrong, then what is wrong?".He also expressed his anti-slavery stance many times throughout his political career, and in the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858, he made clear the dangers of slavery, saying, "This nation cannot exist forever as a slave and as a free man." In the ** election of 1860, he also took the expansion of slavery as his main platform, won the support of the North, and was finally elected **. Therefore, we can say that an important purpose of Lincoln's emancipation of black slaves was that out of moral considerations, he hoped to realize his ideals, eliminate the injustice of American society, and fight for the human rights of black people.
Secondly, we cannot ignore that another important purpose of Lincoln's emancipation of black slaves was for the sake of interests, and he hoped that through this move, the Union would win the Civil War and maintain the unity and development of the United States. We must clearly understand that the essence of the Civil War was the outbreak of contradictions between American industrial capitalism and the slave plantation economy of the South, a bourgeois revolution in American history, and the inevitable result of the development of American capitalism. Lincoln, as a statesman, knew this very well, and he knew that if the unity and development of the United States were to be guaranteed, the rebellion in the South had to be defeated and the obstacle of slavery removed. As a result, he took a series of measures during the war, including the Emancipation Proclamation, to achieve this goal. The strategic significance of the "Emancipation Proclamation" is mainly as follows: First, it has shaken the economic foundation of the South, encouraged the flight and resistance of black slaves, and weakened the fighting capacity of the South;The second is to enhance the human resources of the North, attract a large number of blacks to join the Union Army, and improve the combat effectiveness of the NorthThird, it has won the support of the international community, prevented Britain, France, and other countries from providing aid to the South, and won moral superiority for the North. Therefore, we can say that another important purpose of Lincoln's emancipation of black slaves was for the sake of interests, and he hoped that through this move, he would win the Civil War for the Union and maintain the unity and development of the United States.
To sum up, we can conclude that the fundamental purpose of Lincoln's emancipation of black slaves was both moral and interest considerations, and the two were complementary and could not be separated. Lincoln as a man had a strong anti-slavery ideal, and he wanted to fight for freedom and equal rights for black people;As a statesman, Lincoln had a keen strategic vision, and he hoped to win the Civil War for the Union by emancipating the black slaves, and maintain the unity and development of the United States. Lincoln's emancipation of black slaves was an important turning point in American history, which not only ended slavery in the United States, but also laid the foundation for the development of capitalism and the formation of multiculturalism in the United States. Lincoln's greatness lies in his ability to combine morality and interests and make great contributions to the course of American history.