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Essay On Lincoln's Response To The Dred Scott Decision

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Before he fought for the Senate seat in Illinois and before he was elected President of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln was merely a man from Illinois who cultivated a set of beliefs and morals that would guide him and his country through one of the most difficult times in its history. One of the most revered presidents in American history, Lincoln emancipated southern slaves and lead his country through a civil war. It was his responses to the Dred Scott case and Senator Douglas and his debates throughout the 1850’s that helped shape the type of president, he would become. Lincoln recognized the burgeoning divide in American society just prior to the Lincoln-Douglas debates and addressed this disunion in order to garner the attention …show more content…

For Lincoln, one of these main occurrences that influenced him was the Dred Scott decision handed down by Justice Roger B. Taney. In his final decision, Taney concluded that no African-American could truly become an American citizen. This decision was in opposition to the beliefs of a large section of the American populous, Lincoln and his Republican party included. Lincoln’s ideals as a Republican were fighting to stop the spread of slavery, not the abolishment of the institution as a whole. Lincoln epitomizes this when he wrote “peaceful extinction of slavery…” this meant Lincoln did not necessarily see the need behind the ending of slavery completely rather then its complete existence being …show more content…

Leading up to his actions as president and leading the North through the Civil War, Lincoln encountered many obstacles and boundaries which molded his political stance. ]The Dred Scott case led to Lincoln’s first massive political stances which helped him influence his peers within the party and nationwide. This case allowed him to increase his standing within the nation to where his name was common place in politics. This grew even more as he was nominated by other Republicans in Illinois to run against Douglas. After winning the popular vote within this election yet losing the election, his speeches garnered more and more respect and allowed him to tour the United States. These speeches continued to add to his polarity amongst the citizens and eventually lined himself up to gain the Presidential seat in 1860. This journey would prove to be Lincoln’s greatest asset, all the obstacles which he managed to slip past in the 30 years prior in politics acted as his greatest tool as President during one of the most trying times in American

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