If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that.
-Abraham Lincoln
Watching the first Lincoln episode, I get the feeling we will not see the quote above. Lincolns concern was with saving the union.
But he was absolutely 100% opposed to that.
Protecting big wealthy elite industrialists in the Northeast who funneled all Southern export production through their own businesses and their own pockets with a healthy cut for Washington DC.
The War was about money, not slavery. This is why Lincoln supported the Corwin Amendment but would not budge on the South trading directly with Europe instead of going through his corporate buddies in the Northeast.
True until mid -1862. Then he came to realize that the ONLY way to save the Union was to eliminate slavery, for the Confederacy’s sole purpose in existence was to protect slavery, and 2/3 of the South’s population was feeding and arming the 1/2 who were fighting.
Superb new book on the leadup to war and the war itself by Oakes, “Freedom National,” who showed how northern abolitionists figured out (correctly) that the Constitution doesn’t mention slaves, only unfree PERSONS, and that by emphasizing the personhood of slaves they could end it OR force the South to go to war to defend slavery, when they could end it.
They had a brilliant plan.