Lincoln's Quote

“A house divided against itself cannot stand… I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.” --- Abraham Lincoln

This quote signifies that the quest to obtaining a forward movement, two sides cannot constantly fight. “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” similar to how progress cannot be made if there is no final decision. Lincoln symbolizes a deadlock in progress by stating that the government “cannot endure.”

Historically, Lincoln was the President who fathered freedom for slaves. This quote states that no progress can be made if the remainder of the government chooses to keep slavery alive, thus contradicting his ideologies of every individual being free. This reflects upon the social movement of abolishing racism , as directed by Lincoln, who claims that the United States cannot have “permanently half slave and half free;” instead, all citizens must be free from the vice grip of racism.