Lincoln's initial declaration that the North fought only to preserve the Union and not to abolish slavery

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Lincoln's initial declaration that the North fought only to preserve the Union and not to abolish slavery was made essentially to keep the Border States, which had not seceded, in the Union. Lincoln believed that if he made abolition the main goal of the war, the Border States would leave the Union and join the Confederacy. Ultimately, as the war progressed, Lincoln's views on slavery evolved and he began to push for abolition as a key goal of the war.

Lincoln's Initial Declaration That the North Fought Only to Preserve