In 1837, as a 28-year-old member ... on both injustice and bad policy." As late as 1864 he wrote, "I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I can not remember when I did no so think, and feel." The quotations below represent only a small ...

"Now, I confess myself as belonging ... slavery as a moral, social and political evil, having due regard for its actual existence amongst us and the difficulties of getting rid of it in any satisfactory way, and to all the constitutional obligations which have been thrown about it; but, nevertheless, desire a policy that looks to the prevention of it as a wrong, and looks hopefully to the time when as a wrong it may come to an end." ... edited by Roy P. Basler, Volume III, "Lincoln-Douglas Debate ...

January 20, 2026 - This website provides a list of individuals and organizations who worked to end slavery in the United States, as well as historic documentation on the anti-slavery and abolition movements in the US.

April 10, 2015 - Lincoln Quote on Slavery

In this manuscript, a fragment from one of Lincoln’s speeches during the 1858 Illinois Senate race against Stephen Douglas, Lincoln advances the fundamental truth to which all creatures are entitled, declaring that even a slave kept in ignorance "does constantly know that he is wronged." And he uses economic logic against slavery, arguing that in freedom "the weak .

What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union.

July 2, 2026 - Lincoln on Slavery

If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time destroy Slavery, I do not agree with them. My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy Slavery.

February 23, 2021 - One of Lincoln's many notes to himself suggests a man wrestling with the conflict between democracy and slavery and what he should do about it.

Abraham Lincoln's letter to George Robertson of Lexington, Kentucky (August 15, 1855), later published in "Early speeches of Abraham Lincoln, 1830-1860" by Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection, 1909. Now, I confess myself as belonging to that class in the country who contemplate slavery as a moral, social and political evil, having due regard for its actual existence amongst us and the difficulties of getting rid of it in any satisfactory way, and to all the constitutional obligations which have been thrown about it; but, nevertheless, desire a policy that looks to the prevention of it as a wrong, and looks hopefully to the time when as a wrong it may come to an end.

Lincoln wrote a response to New York Tribune editor Horace Greeley on August 22, 1862, a response almost identical in sentiment to Grant's: "My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any ...

October 30, 2019 - What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union.

July 14, 2021 - The posts ( here , here ) attribute to Lincoln the words: “If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it” and to Lee the quote: “There is a terrible war coming and these young men who have never seen war cannot wait ...

Slavery is founded in the selfishness of man's nature — opposition to it, in his love of justice. These principles are an eternal antagonism; and when brought into collision so fiercely, as slavery extension brings them, shocks, and throes, ...

June 15, 2018 - In the letter to Horace Greeley, ... states “If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I could by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that.”Lincoln was strictly ...

I have always thought that all men should be free; but if any should be slaves it should be first those who desire it for themselves, and secondly those who desire it for others. Whenever [I] hear any one,2Open page arguing for slavery I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.

Lincoln wrote: “The ant, who has toiled and dragged a crumb to his nest, will furiously defend the fruit of his labor, against whatever robber assails him. So plain, that the most dumb and stupid slave that ever toiled for a master, does constantly know that he is wronged.

“My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery….What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the ...