Tag Archives: Slavery

Libertarians for Lincoln!

Well, maybe not all of them. But while working on the “Lincoln and Race” series, I came across a remarkable set of webpages. Thanks to John McKee Barr at Loathing Lincoln,  I have discovered at least one libertarian who is … Continue reading

Posted in Abraham Lincoln, Civil War, Secession | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The Racism of Abraham Lincoln, Part 4

The Emancipation of Abraham Lincoln The pivotal moment in both the Civil War and in Lincoln’s views on race occurred on January 1, 1863, when Lincoln signed the final version of the Emancipation Proclamation. While criticized by contemporaries and scholars for … Continue reading

Posted in Abraham Lincoln, Civil War, Lincoln's Words, Racism, Slavery | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

The Racism of Abraham Lincoln, Part 1

The Racism of Abraham Lincoln In early August, this  came across my feed: Lincoln’s handwriting confirmed in nineteenth-century book on racism Experts have confirmed that handwriting in an Illinois library’s copy of Types of Mankind is that of the Great … Continue reading

Posted in Abraham Lincoln, Civil War, Lincoln's Words, Racism, Slavery | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Secession, the Expansion of Slavery, and Race

The inimitable defender of Confederate heritage, George Purvis, who blogs at Cold Southern Steel, posted a comment here recently that I think warrants a post of its own. In part, George wrote: You are taking a narrow view of the … Continue reading

Posted in Civil War, Neo-Confederates, Secession, Slavery | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 65 Comments

“We Must Disenthrall Ourselves”

“We Must Disenthrall Ourselves” In an interview promoting the Steven Spielberg film Lincoln, Daniel Day Lewis discussed how he read Lincoln’s speeches as a way to prepare his epic performance. In particular, Day Lewis told the interviewer, he was surprised … Continue reading

Posted in Civil War, Lincoln's Words, Slavery | Tagged , , , , | 15 Comments

Yes, Slavery Did Cause the Civil War, Part 4

Slavery and Society The Confederate states seceded, then, because they suspected Lincoln and the North would, sooner or later, abolish slavery. They clearly dreaded the end of slavery. I trust the previous posts have shown this, but there’s one last … Continue reading

Posted in Civil War, Secession, Slavery | Tagged , , , , , | 153 Comments

Yes, Slavery Did Cause the Civil War, Part 3.

Slavery and Power Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution reads: Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding … Continue reading

Posted in Civil War, Secession, Slavery, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Yes, Slavery Did Cause the Civil War, Part 2

The Ultimate Basis of Slavery But to begin at the very beginning, it is important to remember something I always tell my students: first and foremost, above and beyond all other considerations, slavery is based on violence. It is impossible … Continue reading

Posted in Civil War, Neo-Confederates, Secession, Slavery | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Yes, Slavery Did Cause the American Civil War

Slavery as the cause of war The central pillar of the Lost Cause Myth is the notion that somehow slavery was not the ultimate cause of the Civil War. While this seems laughable on its face, the fact remains that … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment