But a closer analysis of his beliefs reveal that if he had lived longer then eventually popular opinion would have turned against him.

He is constantly ranked as the greatest U.S. president…

… but even he would be considered “wrong” on most things today if he was still alive. He would be wrong from the clothes he wore, to the words he used, to the political and cultural beliefs he held. Even on the issue of slavery, which is what he’s most idolized for, would earn him numerous mean tweets.

Abraham Lincoln was elected president precisely because he wasn’t a radical abolitionist, in other words he did not advocate for freeing southern slaves. He only advocated for stopping the extension of slavery into the unsettled west, which was a more acceptable political position to the slave-holding border states.

“I have no purpose directly or indirectly to interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.” — Abraham Lincoln

But this was still an unacceptable political position to the slave-holding southern states, which is why they seceded from the Union upon Lincoln’s election.

“If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that.” — Abraham Lincoln

But then as the Civil War raged on, and hundreds of thousands of Americans lay dead (more Americans died in the Civil War than all other wars combined), popular opinion cared less about slavery and more about ending the war as quickly as possible.

Under this pretense, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The proclamation freed slaves, but ONLY in the seceded south. In other words, the law only freed the slaves where it wasn’t considered law. The proclamation aimed to inspire southern slaves to revolt and sabotage the southern economy, thereby expediting the war.