Big Enough to be Inconsistent
Abraham Lincoln confronts slavery and race
George M. Fredrickson
When this book was assigned just reading the title did not make sense.
you read the words inconsistent followed by Abraham Lincolns name, and it
brings some sort of confusing thought about Lincoln. Yet that confusing thought became even bigger once I began to read the book. When you think of presidentLincoln the example of a great president comes in to mind, an emancipator,
or even an equal rights advocate. Yet Fredrickson describes the complete
opposite image of Lincoln.
Fredrickson wrote Big Enough to further more opinions and ideas that he
has regarding Lincolns true reason for emancipation and his feelings toward
blacks. Thirty years before this book was published, Fredrickson published
A Man but not a Brother Abraham Lincoln and Racial Equality. Yet many
historians disagreed with the content in the book. Historians viewed points made
in the book questionable and had debatable suggestions. Many mention that
Lincolns view on slavery remained the same until his death. So Fredrickson
returns with Big Enough to be Inconsistent touching the point of slavery, yet
this time he uses information from the last three decades. Fredrickson also
places more serious attention to Lincoln’s views on slavery. The author had a
great amount of inspiration from a certain gentlemen by the name of W.E.B Du
Boise. This was an African American who was part of the institute for African
American research. Du Boise spent many years studying Lincoln’s point of view,
and disagreeing with current opinion of many towards Lincoln. He argues
Lincoln being a two face, and not an emancipator but a man that was “ Forced to
glory.” Fredrickson main accomplishment within this book is setting a certain
stand of those who view Lincoln as an honest equal rights believer and those
who view him a dishonest, two face, white supremacist. Du Boise mentions
“Lincolns greatness and the fact that he was sometimes uncertain or confused
about what h should do or think are not compatible, he was big enough to be
inconsistent.”
In the book it is believed that if Lincoln could have kept the union together
with slavery as a right, he would have. Lincoln would of not only allow it, he
would have also have loyalty to protect it. To me this was very hard to believe
since in my eyes Lincoln is viewed as an emancipator and a president who cared
for equal rights for African Americans. Yet I was not the only one who saw
Fredrickson’s or Du Boise’s views as ridiculous arguments. The book describes
the confusing feelings many readers took on while reading negative statements
towards Lincoln. This was not only felt by readers but by many historians,
Political philosophers, novelist, poets, and even champions that have been
attracted to Lincolns ideals viewed these sort of statements as a joke, of course
since they have always seen Lincoln a great president and the most influential as
well.
Through out Lincoln’s presidential years slavery was a very important
ideal. It was many southerners most important, sufficient, way of life. Lincoln
being aware of this matter he created a form of abolishment that would also be
convenient to slave owners as well as the slaves. Lincoln believed in a method
that was known as “emancipation followed by compensation.” The plan being
that all of those slave owners would be compensated with money or more land if
they agreed to free their slaves, and those African Americans that became free
or were already free would receive the option of voluntary colonization. As great
as this plan sounded, it had major disagreements. The number one problem
being the fact that many slave states were adopted to the concept of slavery
and would remain loyal to it no matter what the circumstances were. So Lincoln
had to use a more radical method, which was the Emancipation Proclamation,
which was a document that ran into affect on January 1st, 1863. The document
basically state it that slavery was no longer permitted and those who were slaves
became automatically freed. This of course made the slave loyalist furious and
questionable towards Lincoln, followed by the fact that Lincoln was basically
hated by most of the south.
As Fredrickson gives Lincoln the applause for his good work towards
emancipation, he continues by making counter arguments toward Lincoln’s
behavior. Fredrickson does so by introducing many pro Lincoln authors that have
written books on Lincoln’s success and degrading them. He makes somewhat
believable arguments against all of the authors and their mistakes on viewing
Lincoln as a successful president and a great emancipator. Allen C. Guelzo is the
first author introduced in the book. He is a model author to the idea that Lincoln
truly was a great emancipator. He saw Lincoln as the black mans best friend,
Guelzo made all his points made in a book called Lincoln’s Emancipation
Proclamation, which was published in 2004. Yet Fredrickson does not see
Lincoln as the most important or significant, he judges Guelzo’s book ending
by mentioning the lament of Lincoln’s falling reputation within the black
community in recent years. Fredrickson continues judging authors by then
introducing Richard Striner and his book Father Abraham. Striner describes the
racist jokes that Lincoln made in the 1850s toward blacks but he mentions how
those jokes were made with the best intention there could be. Fredrickson on the
other hand argues that Lincoln only made racist jokes in front of white, pro
slavery, electorates. This makes Lincoln a two-face president in Fredrickson’s
point of view. Yet Strainer argues that Lincoln was “Deliberately ambiguous”
meaning that Lincoln didn’t mean anything or it is even questioned if Lincoln even
made those jokes.
Fredrickson continues throughout the book using speeches that Lincoln
made against him, he also introduces many black leaders who questioned
Lincolns true feelings against slavery. Individuals such as Malcolm X, and Julius
Lester brought up questions and statements against Lincoln. Urging in African
Americans minds to take down pictures of Lincoln and making sure that blacks
new that racial justice was made because of them not Lincoln.
Yet at the end the only important matter is what the reader believes. This
book can change your mind into thinking that maybe Lincoln was a white
supremacist, and that he truly didn’t care about racial justice but just about
keeping the union together. Or maybe you stick with the same old believes you
had about Lincoln just as I did. This book does a great job on bringing a different
view of Lincoln, and tries to twist your mind into changing your view as well.
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