Why did Lincoln support the preservation of the Union over abolishing slavery?

Lincoln focused on maintaining the nation's unity; this was due to his belief that dissolving the Union would result in chaos and stability. By focusing on the preservation of the Union above the abolishment of slavery, he would be able to protect American democracy. Lincoln was afraid to confront slavery directly, specifically in the Southern states, as he was aware of how important public opinion was and that confronting this issue could further alienate the North and South and, as a result, impact the Union.

As time went on Lincoln's view on slavery changed and he viewed it as immoral and therfore not in line with ideas of equality and freedom in which the nation was founded on. This is supported by the Emancipation Proclomation which was released in 1863; this declared that all the slaves in Confederate-held territory had to be set free. This suggests that over time Lincoln changed his view and believed that the preservation of the Union was equally important as abolishing slavery as both these issues were interconnected.

At the beginning it seemed that Lincoln supported preservation of the Union over the abolishment slavery due to a deep rooted fear that his confrontation on this issue would cause further divide amongst the North and South. However it was clear over time this changed, Lincoln could no longer allow this fear to control his actions as slavery was an issue that had to be dealt with in order to preserve the Union. This change in attitude is supported by the Emancipation Proclomation released in 1863 showing Lincoln began to view both the preservation of the Union and the abolishment of slavery as linked.