3.
Abraham Lincoln's contradictions also show that racial thoughts were always on his mind. Lincoln's nickname is "Honest Abe" but was that always applicable to him? Doesn't being honest come with the responsibility of always staying true to your opinion? He says that every man should have the right to eat the bread meaning that the declaration states all men are created equal yet makes it clear in is 4th debate that the white race is the almighty and makes African Americans look like peasants. When saying one thing and stating the opposite later only shows that true opinions are being hidden. .
Furthermore, Abraham Lincoln's biggest passion was abolishing slavery. On September 22, 1862, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation that freed the slaves and "pronounced slavery a moral evil that must come to an end." 4 Also, Lincoln was extremely quick to sign the thirteen amendment on the constitution that officially abolished slavery in the United States even though a president's signature is not required. This demonstrates Lincoln's despise for slavery however, his hatred for the subject has nothing to do with the types of people. He loathed the morals that went against everything he believed in and the inhumanity and brutality of making another human do ones labor.5 This means that it didn't matter what the humans looked like or what race they were, he was still going to be against the matter either way. This also gives the knowledge that being anti-slavery has nothing to do with racism and Lincoln himself could undoubtedly be prejudice. .
In addition, it seems as though many automatically respect Abraham Lincoln just for freeing the slaves and try to ignore the fact that he was a racist. In one case, a professor by the name of Henry Louis Gates, Jr. noticed that Lincoln was using the n-word in public. While African Americans obviously take offence to this word, the professor considers it to be an exception since he is the "Great Emancipator" and The Champion of Black Slaves.