Civil War was about Slavery. Video inside

[lfd0311]

Lincoln didn't think he could legally free the slaves. But once they were in open rebellion he thought he could which is why he only freed them in the rebelling state's with the Emancipation Proclamation

I've always taken the Emancipation Proclamation as a warning. The Emancipation Proclamation was essentially Lincoln saying "knock your BS off right now and we the Status Quo will be maintained as if this all never happened." That's why it wasn't put into affect right away.

 

[Gutter Chris]

Yet he initiated the war with his actions at Fort Sumter.

Thats backwards man. Was you guys who started it

 

[Captain Davis]

So after campaigning on preserving the Union, and making concessions to keep the South in the Union, you think he should have given his blessing for them to sieze a Federal fort?

If he didn't want a war, yes. But he wanted the war, he just didn't want to look like the one who started it, so he baited the itchy Confederates into firing the first shot.

Lincoln was a lot of things, but he wasn't dumb and he was very shrewd at using media and at manipulation.

 

[Captain Davis]

I've always taken the Emancipation Proclamation as a warning. The Emancipation Proclamation was essentially Lincoln saying "knock your BS off right now and we the Status Quo will be maintained as if this all never happened." That's why it wasn't put into affect right away.

It was put into effect for no other reason besides initiating a slave revolt, which didn't happen, and to gain manpower for the Union. The EP was a war measure, it had absolutely nothing to do with slaves and their well being.

You do realize, he only Emancipated the slaves in Confederate states right?

The border states still legally had slavery and did. U. S. Grant's family in Delaware didn't free their family slave until after the war.

And Delaware was the last state to abolish slavery.

Lincoln didn't give a shit about black people.

 

[Captain Davis]

Thats backwards man. Was you guys who started it

Oh yeah, firing on Fort Sumter...

 

[lfd0311]

It was put into effect for no other reason besides initiating a slave revolt, which didn't happen, and to gain manpower for the Union. The EP was a war measure, it had absolutely nothing to do with slaves and their well being.

You do realize, he only Emancipated the slaves in Confederate states right?

The border states still legally had slavery and did. U. S. Grant's family in Delaware didn't free their family slave until after the war.

And Delaware was the last state to abolish slavery.

Lincoln didn't give a shit about black people.

I fully understand all of that. That's what I was getting at. From my perspective, The EP is written as a warning measure. Either stop the rebellion right now, reform the Union and keep your slaves. Continue past the stated date and I will end your way of life.

 

[PolishHeadlock]

Because that was after he had already committed himself after the EP. If he was so interested in freeing the black man, why wasn't part of his platform in 1860?

He was. He didn't think he had the legal authority to emancipate slaves in Southern states. He wrote about this and said it.

He had authority to ban slavery in expansion territories and that's what he planned on fighting for.

I noted these negotiations in this thread. The South would not secede if Lincoln agreed that the territories could have slaves. He said no and the South declared war.

As soon as he had the legal ability he freed the southern slaves. After that he freed all slaves.

 

[PolishHeadlock]

He was told point blank that if he refortified the fort it would be taken as an act of war and aggression. He knew exactly what he was doing.

What?

That statement itself is a sign of belligerence and insurgency

 

[D3thr0n3d K1ng]

If he didn't want a war, yes. But he wanted the war, he just didn't want to look like the one who started it, so he baited the itchy Confederates into firing the first shot.

Lincoln was a lot of things, but he wasn't dumb and he was very shrewd at using media and at manipulation.

He had campaigned for a long time about preserving the Union. He had made lots of concession to keep the southern states in the Union. If he had let them take a Federal fort and backed down from resupplying it he would have come off as weak and all the states who were on the fence about seceding or remaining would have seen him as weak and been more likely to secede.

Saying that "he started the whole thing by baiting the South Carolinians" even though they became violent first makes them seem like petulant children.

 

[D3thr0n3d K1ng]

It was put into effect for no other reason besides initiating a slave revolt, which didn't happen, and to gain manpower for the Union. The EP was a war measure, it had absolutely nothing to do with slaves and their well being.

He wasnt trying to instigate a slave revolt, he was trying to get slaves to flee their masters because he wanted to foment dissension among the civilian population as he knew the slaves labor was crucial in supporting the war effort. He thought that by getting a mass exodus of slaves fleeing it would cause an uproar amongst the civilian population and get them to push their leaders to come to terms and end the fighting.

And the slaves were the catalyst for it because when Union armies took over southern towns, lots of slaves were fleeing their masters to work for the Union army instead. This gave him and his generals the idea of issuing the EP.

You do realize, he only Emancipated the slaves in Confederate states right?

He made it clear form the beginning he wouldnt touch slavery in States that remained. Some seceded anyway, so he IMO he did this to 'punish' those states. The other states remained and contributed to the Union war effort so he had no reason to outlaw it.

Lincoln didn't give a shit about black people.

Most people didnt, except the Evangelical abolitionists. Lincoln, from his writings, personally did not like slavery and thought it was antiquated. Regardless, almost everyone from that time period would be considered Nazis by todays standards.

 

[Captain Davis]

He had campaigned for a long time about preserving the Union. He had made lots of concession to keep the southern states in the Union. If he had let them take a Federal fort and backed down from resupplying it he would have come off as weak and all the states who were on the fence about seceding or remaining would have seen him as weak and been more likely to secede.

Saying that "he started the whole thing by baiting the South Carolinians" even though they became violent first makes them seem like petulant children.

True, and don't get me wrong, they were itching for the fight. I agree, that it was going to happen regardless, but most people don't even know what actually happened at Fort Sumter. All you get is "they fired the first shot." It was a chess match and Lincoln won the game.

Lincoln was in a difficult situation and the Confederates played right into his hand.

Lincoln was the first president to realize the power of the media and he was a master at manipulating not only the media, but other men. If I'm not mistaken, he was the first to use several media members as a press briefing. The previous presidents used one media source to deliver their message.

I believe Lincoln was a brilliant mind, I just don't agree with his tactics and how he completely disregarded the law leading up to the war.

 

[Captain Davis]

Most people didnt, except the Evangelical abolitionists. Lincoln, from his writings, personally did not like slavery and thought it was antiquated. Regardless, almost everyone from that time period would be considered Nazis by todays standards.

This is what I talk about the most, but so many people just won't except the truth.

I don't defend the South for trying to defend slavery. I just get fed up with elitist people who believe that the Northerners were fighting to free slaves, when the overwhelmingly vast majority of people either wanted nothing to do with them, or were at best, apathetic towards them.

Many in the North may have disagreed with slavery, but they were not willing to pick up a rifle over it.

 

[Sir Galahad]

Y'all do realize there are hundreds of these types of videos pro and con on YouTube right?