Three Riddles Around Lincoln

    This short work pursues solutions to three riddles. The first riddle concerns whether Abraham Lincoln was in any sense a racist.     The second riddle queries what Lincoln's highest priority was during his presidency. Some historians have argued that he cared most about saving the Union. Others have made the case that ending slavery was his main motive. Might both conclusions be wide of the mark?     The third riddle arises...
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    This short work pursues solutions to three riddles. The first riddle concerns whether Abraham Lincoln was in any sense a racist.
    The second riddle queries what Lincoln's highest priority was during his presidency. Some historians have argued that he cared most about saving the Union. Others have made the case that ending slavery was his main motive. Might both conclusions be wide of the mark?
    The third riddle arises from two policies that have appeared contradictory to some historians. On the one hand, by publicly supporting black suffrage, Lincoln moved toward a united multiracial future for the U.S. At the same time, however, he explored colonization proposals he thought might enable large numbers of African Americans to leave the U.S. How is the seeming contradiction to be understood?