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The Similarities Between Abraham Lincoln And The Civil War

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Abraham Lincoln once said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” These words reflected the exact circumstance that was presented to the nation in the times leading up to the Civil War. Before there was a Union and Confederacy, the division began with just the Northern and Southern states. Not only were these regions different regarding geography, but they also had many different views about individual life in the states. One of those differences revolved around slavery. The Northern states were in favor of ridding the nation of slavery, but according to Louis P. Masur’s The Civil War, the Southern states considered it to be a necessary evil. Thus, leading to the “debate [that] framed a disagreement about slavery, that never ended.” In Ken Burn’s Civil War, Shelby Foote mentioned that the war began because the nation couldn’t compromise. Southerners refused to get rid of the very institution that assisted with their economic prosperity. Considering the invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney, the South’s demand for slavery grew even more. Naturally, the Northern states …show more content…

Lincoln, as a President, was neither for nor against slavery. According to Professor Clavin, as a stance in his platform, Lincoln had no intentions to interfere with the states’ declared liberties, which included refraining from disturbing the institution that kept blacks in bondage. Furthermore, he ensured many that it was also his intention to abide by Fugitive Slave laws. However, Lincoln understood that it was his duty to make sure that slavery didn’t expand into new states or current free states. With documents like the Northwest Ordinance and the Compromise of 1850, Ken Burn’s mentioned that these notable features threatened the equilibrium of power as more free states were added to the nation. Moreover, this imbalanced created an unsettling feeling for the

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