Final answer:
President Abraham Lincoln's approach to slavery evolved from initial caution to a strategic and decisive stance for abolition during the Civil War. His strategies shifted in response to military necessities, political pressures, and the changing landscape of the war, culminating in the Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment which abolished slavery.
Step-by-step explanation:
Evolution of President Abraham Lincoln's Stance on Slavery During the Civil War
Initially, President Abraham Lincoln's primary objective at the start of the Civil War was preserving the Union, rather than focusing on the abolition of slavery. While he morally opposed slavery and favored its eventual end, he did not advocate for immediate abolition early in his presidency, considering it too radical and unconstitutional. As the war progressed and the political landscape shifted, so too did Lincoln's approach to slavery.
During the early war years, Lincoln supported gradual compensated emancipation in the Border States and focused on using black labor for military purposes through the Confiscation Acts. By September 1862, in response to political pressure and military necessity, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared freedom for slaves in Confederate-held territory as of January 1, 1863. This shift signified a strategic move to weaken the Confederacy and bolster the Union war effort through abolition.
However, Congressional Republicans sought more decisive action and had different views on how to handle emancipation and Reconstruction. Lincoln's motives evolved to incorporate the transition from a slave labor system to a free labor system into his policies for reunification. The Union victories bolstered his position, leading to an irreversible course towards abolition. By the end of the Civil War, the Thirteenth Amendment, which Lincoln supported, was passed, abolishing slavery throughout the United States and solidifying the shift in Lincoln's approach to slavery from cautious to committed.