Final answer:
Abraham Lincoln's views on race changed from a position that did not favor social or political equality between the races to one that supported ending slavery and included considerations for black citizenship and voting rights by the end of the Civil War.
Step-by-step explanation:
The views of Abraham Lincoln on race evolved significantly throughout his life. In the earlier part of his career, Lincoln held moderate views on racial issues. During the 1858 debates with Stephen Douglas, he opposed the idea of social and political equality between black and white races, seeking to preserve the superior position for the white race while arguing against the dehumanization of blacks. As he joined the Republican Party, Lincoln called slavery a 'monstrous injustice' and believed it undermined civil liberty, though he did not advocate for racial equality at that time.
During the American Civil War, influenced by black abolitionists like Frederick Douglass and the bravery of African-American soldiers, Lincoln's stance on slavery and black citizenship began to change. He moved away from earlier ideas of colonization and instead focused on Reconstruction plans that included extending the right to voting to black men. By his second inauguration, half of the attendees were blacks, reflecting a changing America and Lincoln's evolving views which now entertained the idea of citizenship for former slaves.