The End of Slavery
Lincoln Fights for Freedom
During the past two lessons, we have talked quite a bit about slavery and the heroes who fought against it. Recall that President Abraham Lincoln was the leader of the Union, who fought to keep the Union together and put an end to slavery. Take a moment to put yourself in Lincoln’s shoes. He didn’t know how the Civil War would turn out and if or how slavery would end in America. He was learning, adjusting, and responding as he went. He had a clear goal in mind as you know, to unite the Union and eliminate slavery, but he didn’t have a playbook for how to do it.
Key Point
President Lincoln, who recognized the moral evils of slavery, took the opportunity to end this terrible practice when, on September 22, 1862, he announced his intent to free all of the slaves in the Southern states. He knew that not everyone supported the goal to end slavery in America. However, he was willing to fight for what he believed was right.
