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What argument did the abolitionist make to convince Lincoln to shift the focus of the war from reuniting the union to slavery ?????

User Marten
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Answer:

There is no definitive answer to this question, as there were many abolitionists who held different views on how to convince Lincoln to shift the focus of the war from reuniting the union to slavery. However, one argument that was commonly made by abolitionists was that the war could not address the underlying causes of the conflict without addressing the issue of slavery. The abolitionists argued that the institution of slavery was not just a moral issue, but also a political and economic issue that was at the root of the conflict between the North and the South. They believed that by abolishing slavery, the Union could not only end the war but also prevent future conflicts. Additionally, they argued that ending slavery was necessary to ensure that the Union was truly a free and democratic society, where all men were treated equally under the law.

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Step-by-step explanation:

Abolitionists did indeed pressure President Abraham Lincoln to focus the Civil War on ending slavery, rather than just reuniting the Union. The argument they made was that slavery was the root cause of the war, and that the conflict could not truly be resolved until the institution of slavery was abolished.

One of the most influential abolitionists was Frederick Douglass, who met with Lincoln several times during the war to discuss the issue of slavery. Douglass argued that the war was not just a struggle to preserve the Union, but a moral battle against the evils of slavery.

Douglass believed that by allowing slavery to continue, the Union would be betraying its founding principles of liberty and equality. He also argued that slaves themselves should be given the opportunity to fight for their own freedom, and that the Union army should actively recruit and arm them.

Although Lincoln was initially hesitant to take such bold action, he eventually came around to the abolitionists' point of view. In 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that all slaves in Confederate-held territory were to be freed.

While the Proclamation did not immediately end slavery, it was a major turning point in the war and paved the way for the eventual passage of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery throughout the United States.

User Jurassix
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