Lincoln and DuBois on Slavery

Paper Summary:

This paper compares and contrasts two very great men in American history: W.E.B. DuBois and Abraham Lincoln. Each of these historical figures left their mark on American society by questioning dogma and by speaking against what they felt was wrong. Their views were highly critical of the accepted norms of their days and therefore they each suffered public criticisms. The paper shows that DuBois' personal philosophies got him labeled as a socialist and Abraham Lincoln was assassinated because of his views. The paper examines some of Dubois' works such as: 'Souls of Black Folk', 'Darkwater', 'The Evolution of the Race Problem' and others. The paper also reviews some of Lincoln's, published ideas on the political struggles he faced as they related to slavery and racism.

From the Paper:

"Lincoln provided the means for emancipation from slavery and it cost him his life. Few individuals know however that the Emancipation Proclamation actually did not free the slaves immediately. This is because the president did not have the constitutional authority to free the slaves other than those slaves in states where it was deemed a military necessity to suppress rebellion. Lincoln also was a shrewd politicain who fully understood that freeing the slaves was risky politically because there were still slave states that were loyal to the union and the main purpose of the war was to preserve the union - not to emancipatre the slaves."

More papers on Lincoln and DuBois on Slavery:

• Comparison Essay # 149915 : "Elkins and McPherson on Slavery"
• Essay # 62153 : "Lincoln and Slavery"
• Essay # 115929 : "Lincoln on Slavery"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: