What action did Lincoln take to persuade the border states to remain in the Union?
Asked by: Schuyler Trantow | Last update: February 1, 2026Score: 4.4/5 (58 votes)
To persuade the border states (slave states not to secede) to stay in the Union, Lincoln initially promised not to interfere with slavery where it existed, declared his primary goal was preserving the Union, and used a mix of political pressure, military force (like martial law in Maryland), and sometimes legally questionable methods to suppress secessionist threats, all while portraying the war as about union, not emancipation.
What did Lincoln do to keep border states in the Union?
At first, Lincoln announced his commitment to not interfere with slavery. He did this in order to keep four slave states—Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri—in the Union, and to obey the Constitution, which did not empower the federal government to abolish slavery.
What actions did Abraham Lincoln take to preserve the Union?
In his first term as president, Lincoln made the difficult decision to declare war on the seceded southern states. On January 1, 1863, he released his famous Emancipation Proclamation, which abolished slavery in the United States.
What did President Lincoln do in order to persuade the border states to remain in the Union?
Lincoln utilized a combination of legal and contentious methods to persuade the Border States to remain in the Union during the Civil War. He proposed the Corwin Amendment to prevent slavery abolition, but also suspended habeas corpus rights in border states.
Why did the border states remain in the Union?
Why did the border states not join the Confederacy? Although the border states were slave states, they also believed in a strong federal government. They hoped to make compromises with the Northern States.
Why didn't the border states join the confederacy? (Short Animated Documentary)
Why did Lincoln exclude the border states from the proclamation?
Lincoln exempted the border states from the proclamation because he didn't want to tempt them into joining the Confederacy. Because the proclamation was a temporary war measure, it later had to be codified into law with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.
Why was Lincoln determined to keep the border states in the Union brainly?
Lincoln aimed to keep the border states in the Union primarily to protect Washington, D.C., ensure access to vital resources, and maintain political balance.
What was Lincoln's plan for the Union?
This proclamation was part of Lincoln's Ten-Percent Plan, a strategy that allowed Confederate states to rejoin the Union when ten percent of its voters swore an oath of allegiance to the Constitution.
What were Lincoln's three promises?
Written in a spirit of reconciliation toward the seceded states, Lincoln's inaugural address touched on several topics: first, a pledge to "hold, occupy, and possess the property and places belonging to the government"; second, a statement that the Union would not interfere with slavery where it existed; and third, a ...
Did Abraham Lincoln support immigration?
Consequently, Lincoln pushed for the first, last, and only law in American history to encourage immigration—one that is often overlooked. Lincoln's Act to Encourage Immigration was fittingly passed on July 4, 1864.
What were the border states of Abraham Lincoln?
The five border states
- Delaware.
- Maryland.
- Kentucky.
- Missouri.
- Guerrilla warfare.
- West Virginia.
Which President freed the most slaves?
President Abraham Lincoln freed the most slaves through the Emancipation Proclamation (1863) and the 13th Amendment (ratified 1865), which abolished slavery nationwide, freeing millions, though it was a gradual process involving Union armies and Black agency, not an immediate blanket release.
What was Abe Lincoln's most famous quote?
While many quotes are famous, Abraham Lincoln's most iconic and enduring words likely come from the Gettysburg Address: "government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth," emphasizing democracy, alongside his simpler, often-cited maxim, "Whatever you are, be a good one," stressing personal integrity in any role.
What are the border states fiveable?
The border states included Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware, each having a mix of pro-Union and pro-Confederate sentiments among their populations. These states were strategically important for both the Union and the Confederacy due to their locations along key transportation routes and access to resources.
When did slavery actually end?
In December 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, abolishing chattel slavery nationwide. Native American slave ownership also persisted until 1866, when the federal government negotiated new treaties with the "Five Civilized Tribes" in which they agreed to end slavery.
How did Lincoln prevent Maryland from seceding?
Passions ran high, but at the end Lincoln's actions (which were, indeed, constitutionally questionable), the Union military build-up in the state and Maryland's own connection to the North, all allowed her Unionists to take control and prevent secession.
Who actually freed the slaves?
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war. The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free."
What were the three main points for Lincoln's Reconstruction plan?
The three points of Lincoln's reconstruction plan were to ensure 10 percent of the citizens of former Confederate states swore an oath to the union, to then work to establish new state constitutions, and to provide opportunities for former Confederate soldiers and sympathizers to be granted full pardons for their ...
What is the main message of Lincoln's speech?
President Lincoln's address transformed sorrow into strength and loss into purpose, binding the Nation's wounds and reminding Americans that those who fought and perished did not die in vain, but fought to secure a new birth of freedom for our country.
Why did Lincoln want to keep the border states in the Union?
There were other reasons Lincoln viewed the border states as important in his political and military strategy. Maryland was the access corridor to Washington, D.C., which needed protection; Kentucky controlled the access to the Ohio River; and Missouri protected the Mississippi and Missouri River transits.
What was Lincoln's main idea about the Union?
For Lincoln, the task was always to preserve the Union. In his first inaugural address, Lincoln said, “Continue to execute all the express provisions of our National Constitution, and the Union will endure forever, it being impossible to destroy it except by some action not provided for in the instrument itself.”
What were the three parts of the Union strategy?
What were the three steps of the Anaconda Plan? The three main steps of the Anaconda Plan were 1) surround the Confederacy by sea and by land blockades, 2) take control of the Mississippi River to cut Confederate forces in two, and 3) ambush and surround the Confederacy and their capital.
How did Abraham Lincoln preserve the Union?
To preserve the Union, he ultimately decided he had to end slavery. When the Civil War started, President Lincoln faced the ultimate test of America's founding principles. He felt that no state had the right to leave the country at will. To preserve the Union, he ultimately decided he had to end slavery.
Why did President Lincoln not include the border states in the Emancipation Proclamation?
Lincoln excluded them because he was concerned that by supporting emancipation, he would encourage those states to join the Confederacy, making it much harder to win the war. Maryland was the most concerning of the border states since Virginia's boundary with Washington, D.C., was right there.
How did Abraham Lincoln help ensure that border states supported the Union?
Abraham Lincoln helped ensure that border states supported the Union by insisting that his only goal was to save the Union, not end slavery. He recognized that slavery was deeply rooted in the border states, and if he immediately ended slavery, it would drive these states to join the Confederacy.