Is this statue of Lincoln as the Great Emancipator accurate?

Is the narrative of Lincoln as the Great Emancipator accurate?

If they are not, then what is an accurate image or narrative of emancipation?
Lincoln was pressured by both sides of the political spectrum and was forced to take a
stronger stance on slavery than originally intended. As with any piece of art or statue it is relative
to the perception of the individual observing it. When I look at the statue Lincoln as the Great
Emancipator, I see Lincoln with a arm and hand over a crouched slave, shackled and in a loin
cloth. I think the portrayal is accurate in a very morbid sense. Lincoln did want gradual
emancipation of slaves, however, his main goal was preserving the Union. Slavery was only a
tool in his artillery to reach this main goal.
Lincoln blatantly states his main goal of saving the Union, and his regard for slavery and
its preservation or abolishment as being unimportant to him in his letter to Horace Greeley. In
this letter, Lincoln states, My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not
either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would
do it, and if I could save it by freeing all slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing
some and leaving others alone I would also do that.1 This shows that Lincoln is only using
slavery as a tool for a means to an end. He doesnt, at this point, seem to care what comes from
slavery, only that in the end the Union is preserved and whole.
Through the documents provided, it seems apparent that Lincoln was continuously between a
rock and a hard place when it came to staunch Unionists and the Confederacy. With General
Hunter declaring martial law and all slaves free in Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina in 1862
we see the Unionist leaders taking bold steps in the war. Lincoln would soon after refute this
order given by Hunter in a proclamation. Lincoln asserts that Hunter did not have the
authorization or power to make such decrees. When referring to his own power and authority on
the matter of abolishing slavery, he states, ...to exercise such supposed power, are questions
which, under my responsibility, I reserve to myself, and which I can not feel justified in leaving
to the decision of commanders in the field.2 It would seem that Lincoln doesnt even know if he
holds such power. Later in his proclamation he recommends congress adopt a new resolution
calling for the United States cooperation with any state that agrees to gradual abolishment of
slavery. He urges the Confederate states to take this compromise and promises, The change it
contemplates would come gently as the dews of heaven, not rending or wrecking anything.3 Of
course this compromise is not accepted, and war continues. The south wanting no abolishment of
slavery and the north wanting immediate abolition of slavery.
Lincoln, in his letter to Greeley, presents one of his many tactics when handling war decisions, I
shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more
whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause.4 This may give insight into why
1 Letter by Abraham Lincoln, "President Lincoln, Letter to Horace Greeley," August 22, 1862.
2 Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln, 19 May 1862, #90, Presidential Proclamations, series 23 Record Group 11, National Archives.
3 Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln, 19 May 1862, #90..
4 Letter by Lincoln, "President Lincoln, Letter to Horace."

Lincolns views on slavery became less moderate and more aggressive in the last years of the
war. First, with the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation in September 1862, where he calls
for ...immediate or gradual abolishment of slavery5 Then in his Gettysburg Address in
November 1863 where he states, -that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of
freedom-6 To say Lincoln wasnt always for emancipation is a stretch. It seems apparent in his
pleading of the border states to accept gradual emancipation and his countless efforts to
encourage the Confederate states to do so as well. However, in his letter to Greeley it becomes
apparent that if emancipation does not happen, it would not matter to Lincoln so long as the
Union is preserved.
In his his Second Inaugural Address, Lincoln states that, Both parties deprecated war; but one of
them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather
than let it perish. He continues, To strengthen, perpetuate, and extend this interest (slavery)
was the object for which the insurgents would rend the Union, even by war; while the
government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it.7
Lincoln is clearly stating here that the Union was, basically, forced to aggressively abolish
slavery to preserve the Union, as no compromise could be made with the south. Had the south
accepted the governments right to restrict the growth of slavery into more states, the war and
abolishment of slavery would not have come about so abruptly, if at all.
The statue of Lincoln as the Emancipator does seem accurate in these respects. Lincoln looks
almost Godly, and extends his arm over the, still shackled and crouching black man, and this
truly asserts the power he had over slavery. He used slavery as a tool to reach his main goal of
preserving the Union. He did not allow the proclamation of the abolishment of slavery by anyone
else, but declared emancipation of slaves himself when he thought it was necessary. Why did he
not do this earlier, when others, like Hunt, were pushing for it abolishment of slavery so
aggressively. Again, Lincoln himself stated he would only act in the interest of saving the Union.
We can only assume, he did not feel it was the right move at the time. The narrative of Lincoln as
the Great Emancipator doesnt seem as accurate at the statue because Lincoln said himself he
was not concerned about what happened in regards to slavery so long as the Union was
preserved. He only declared emancipation, it can be assumed, because he thought it was the only
step to preserving the Union at that time. Slavery and emancipation, again, was just a tool in his
artillery.
The statue does not seem to represent freedom from slavery. The African-American man
is still shackled and in a loin cloth, still below the white man (whether Lincoln or not, it still
shows inferiority), and is being controlled under Lincolns out stretched arm. The only positive
image from the statue is the Greek-like body depiction of the black male, as he does give a vision
of strength and physical masculinity. The statue may have received even more controversy had
the freed-slave seemed weak or starving, then again, this may have given a more realistic
5 Abraham Lincoln, "Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation," news release, September 22, 1862.
6 Abraham Lincoln, "Gettysburg Address" (address, November 19, 1863).
7 Abraham Lincoln, "Second Inaugural Address" (address, March 4, 1865).

depiction. The loin cloth and kneeling stance of the black male seems to still paint AfricanAmericans as animalistic, and again, inferior to white males. The statue still depicts white control
over African-Americans, and it is accurate in the sense that Lincoln did hold control over their
fate during the Civil War. Had Lincoln decided emancipation would not have been the best route
to preserving the Union, he would probably not have a statue.

Lincoln, Abraham. "Gettysburg Address." Address,

November 19, 1863.
Lincoln, Abraham. Letter, "President Lincoln, Letter to Horace Greeley,"
August 22, 1862.

Lincoln, Abraham. "Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation." News release.

September 22, 1862.
Lincoln, Abraham. "Second Inaugural Address." Address,
March 4, 1865.