Father Abraham: Lincoln's Relentless Struggle to End Slavery

Was Lincoln the Great Emancipator, who ended slavery in the U.S., or simply a reluctant politician compelled by the force of events to free the slaves? If you examine the speeches that Lincoln made in the 1850s, you will have no doubt of his passion to end slavery. But if he felt so passionately about abolition, why did he wait so long to release the Emancipation Proclamation? Lincoln was a consummate politician, a shrewd manipulator who cloaked his visionary ethics in the more pragmatic garb of the coalition-builder. Lincoln was a a fervent idealist and a crafty politician with a remarkable gift for strategy. It was the harmonious blend of these two qualities that made Lincoln¿s role in ending slavery so fundamental. Illustrations.