Chapter 21: His Views on Race Are Static as He Enters the White House

Aside from his early barge trip to New Orleans, Lincoln reaches Washington with almost no first-hand contact with black people. That’s because, according to the Census, there are only 311 of the 32,374 (or 0.1%) residents of Springfield in 1860 who are black.

He arrives still believing that slavery is wrong and that the Founding Father’s intent was for it to wither away over time. But he regards assimilation of Blacks into White society as impossible. Also his own personal racial prejudices have been revealed at the 1858 Charleston Debate. Blacks are inferior and Whites deserve the superior position in America.

Thus it is safe to say that as of February 22, 1861, the President remains in favor of Henry Clay’s 1816 plan to re-colonize the Africans back in Liberia.

Population of Sangamon County, Illinois (Census Data)