Known to many people as the president who helped free the slaves, Abraham Lincoln is often referred to as "The Great Emancipator". Abraham Lincoln did many things as president such as help in the Civil War, deliver many important speeches and letters to try and unite the Union, but he is most importantly remembered as the president who freed the slaves. The question is does Abraham Lincoln deserve the title " The Great Emancipator?" To many historians this topic is very controversial because some think he does deserve the title and others do not. In my opinion Abraham Lincoln is a great man of wisdom who did a great thing in helping slaves be freed, but I also believe that in a way Abraham Lincoln helped free the slaves only because he wanted to help save the Union from falling apart and the only way to do that was stop slavery from spreading. Thus Abraham Lincoln does not but somewhat deserve the title "The Great Emancipator". .
First off Abraham Lincoln's views of slavery had always been the same from the time of his presidency to his death. Lincoln knew that blacks could never be equal with whites, but in the end Lincoln knew that every race should be equal and free.Lincoln also believed that as president he did not have the right to abolish slavery because of the Constitution. But Lincoln knew that if he did not stop slavery from spreading that the Union as a whole would fall apart and eventually become weaker as whole. As quoted from Lincoln's letter to Horace Greeley "If I could save the Union without freeing any slaves, I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it, and if I could do it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also so that". Though Lincoln was smart in knowing that if he did not save the Union as a whole it would separate and become a weaker nation he did not intend to necessarily free blacks.