The Crooked Path to Abolition: Abraham Lincoln and the Antislavery Constitution

The path to the abolition of American slavery was long and complex, but President Lincoln's consistent and committed antislavery strategies, rooted in his belief in the Constitution of the United States, played a crucial role. Lincoln and his allies used federal power to undermine slavery wherever it existed, and the Civil War ultimately led to its abolition with the Emancipation Proclamation and state ratification of the constitutional amendment.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 25 February 2022
Publisher: WW Norton & Co

The journey towards the abolition of American slavery was a complex and multifaceted one, often attributed to the equivocations and inconsistencies of antislavery leaders, including Abraham Lincoln himself. However, James Oakley's comprehensive history of Lincoln's antislavery strategies unveils a remarkable consistency and commitment that spanned several years. At the core of Lincoln's antislavery belief was the Constitution of the United States, which he interpreted as establishing freedom as the prevailing rule and slavery as the exception. Where federal power held sway, freedom prevailed. Conversely, where state power predominated, the status of slavery was determined by each state, and the federal government could not intervene. Recognizing this reality, Lincoln and his antislavery allies employed a range of strategies to dismantle the institution. They intervened wherever the Constitution granted the federal government direct authority, such as in the western territories, the District of Columbia, and the slave trade. As a congressman in 1849, Lincoln sponsored a bill to abolish slavery in Washington, D.C. He re-entered politics in 1854 to oppose the unconstitutional opening of the territories to slavery through the Kansas-Nebraska Act. He also sought to persuade states to abolish slavery by supporting gradual abolition with compensation for slaveholders and the colonization of free Blacks abroad.

President Lincoln fully capitalized on the antislavery opportunities presented by the Civil War. He declared enslaved people who escaped to Union lines to be free. The Emancipation Proclamation, a military order issued by the president, undermined slavery throughout the South. It led to the abolition of slavery in six slave states, which subsequently joined the coalition to influence Lincoln's ultimate goal.

In conclusion, the long and winding path to the abolition of American slavery was marked by both challenges and opportunities. While antislavery leaders like Lincoln faced inconsistencies and challenges, their unwavering commitment to the Constitution and their strategic interventions played a pivotal role in shaping the course of history. Lincoln's unwavering belief in freedom as the universal rule and slavery as the exception, coupled with his strategic interventions and utilization of available tools, ultimately contributed to the dismantling of the institution of slavery in the United States.

Weight: 220g
Dimension: 211 x 140 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781324020196