“Did Lincoln Own Slaves”
By – Gerald Prokopowicz
In his book, Prokopowicz presents a different interpretation of Lincoln the man. He portrays him as a highly energetic and charismatic individual who was sure of himself and his place in history. This is a direct contrast with the image that is generally portrayed of our 16th President. In other books (such as “The Gettysburg Gospel” by Gabor Boritt) we are given the impression that Lincoln is a reserved, almost shy individual who is self-conscious regarding his looks and speaking ability; one that would gladly give the stage to others. Not so in Prokopowicz’s book . He is written of as an outspoken, exuberant individual who spoke with his heart and soul in order to convince people of his perspective. While Lincoln did give many famous speeches and debates, he was not considered a truly successful speaker. In the pages of this book we see a gallant, almost humorous, confident man that takes life by the horns and doesn’t let go until the very end. Again, a stark contrast to other interpretations of the congenial but almost withdrawn individual from our history.
In answer to the question proposed in the title of the book; no Lincoln did not own slaves. In fact he once stated, “I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I can not remember when I did not so think, and feel.” (p.156) It was quite obvious that Lincoln despised the institution of slavery. It is pointed out in the book that Lincoln did not live in a slave state after he turned seven. He did, or course, have the chance to observe slaves. In addition, since Lincoln was a lawyer, and not a farmer like his father wanted him to be, he did not really have a use for slavery. This aspect of slavery has become the central theme of Lincoln’s political career. So why didn’t he free the slaves as soon as he became President? Two reasons were given; one that he didn’t believe that he had the power to do that. Lincoln felt that the Constitution did not allow the federal government to meddle in the “domestic arrangements” that states made. The second reason would be that it probably wouldn’t have done any good. As of 1861 there were still four slave states that were still in the Union. They continued to be loyal to the Union throughout the war. The book also makes clear Lincoln’s views on citizenship and what it really meant to be a citizen of the United States of America. There were basically three things that he felt made a good citizen. These were that you had “general intelligence”. Basically you had to be able to comprehend how the government worked. Secondly, he felt that you had to be of “sound morality”. How could you lead or serve as an example if you were anything but moral. Finally, he believed that you had to have “a reverence for the Constitution and laws”. (p.236)
Lincoln was a family man. This is not to say that he was necessarily close to his parents or siblings. He and his father did not see eye to eye on many things. An example would be when Abe began to earn his own money. It was an exhilarating experience to be able to provide for himself. Then, according to custom, he realized that he had to turn over any income to his father. This upset him. He worked for it and should be entitled to keep it. In addition, Lincoln’s father was a farmer, and not an altogether successful one. Lincoln did not want to follow in his footsteps. Instead he took every opportunity to educate himself often observed with his nose stuck in a book. (If only our children today loved reading as much as Lincoln did!) Father and son continued to disagree about this with Abe eventually going into law instead of the life a planter.
It has often been wondered if Abe really did love Mary. Theirs seemed to be an odd or at least unusual union. Abe did love his wife and his children. Family was an integral part of who he was. As President it is amazing that he was able to continue with the duties of his office while dealing with the sickness of his son. We can all identify with the difficulty of continuing on with our daily activities when one of our children is suffering. Can you imagine being the leader of the country, which has been ripped in two because of sectional differences, when the only thing you really want to fix is the health of your child. It was also new information that Lincoln was so close to his stepmother. It is nice to know that he did have a loving, caring adult in his life that did guide him and support him in his chosen path. With the gap between he and his father, surely the relationship with his stepmother was that much more important to him.
