What were Abraham Lincoln's main goals during the American Civil War?

Abraham Lincoln’s primary goal during the American Civil War was to preserve the Union. At the beginning of the conflict, he was willing to maintain the status quo regarding slavery if it meant keeping the nation intact. However, as the war progressed, abolishing slavery became a nonnegotiable objective for him, driven by his personal abhorrence of the practice and rising antislavery sentiment in the North.12

By the time he issued the Emancipation Proclamation, the war had evolved into a dual struggle: saving the Union and ending the enslavement of four million people. Lincoln viewed the preservation of the Union as essential to demonstrating that a constitutional democracy—a government of, by, and for the people—could survive and maintain its integrity against domestic threats.342

Ultimately, Lincoln remained steadfast in these goals, insisting on reunion as a precondition for any peace arrangement. Through his leadership, he successfully achieved both the preservation of the United States and the abolition of slavery.15