The history of the civil war has been distorted and simplified to push the idea that it was all about slavery, and that the motivation of the northern states and the federal government was a noble concern for the well being of the blacks.
The notion that northern citizens were solely driven by charity and a desire to free blacks while the south was driven by greed and malice toward blacks is a gross simplification of the true forces in play at the time.
Very few people today understand that Lincoln’s Emacipation Proclamation applying to slaves in the southern states was not primarily motivated by a charitable desire on the part of the federal government to end all slavery.
(ie: it did not end slavery in the “border states” that had not taken sides in the war)
It was a political decision to create havoc in the southern states and to damage the ability of the Confederacy to wage war against the north. In the time leading up to the decision to announce the emancipation the northern army was getting its butt kicked by the south.
The hope was that announcement of emancipation would lead to large scale insurrection on the part of the remaining slaves in the southern states, crippling the south and help turn the tide of the war in favor of the north.
The reality is, that at the time, blacks were treated as bad, or worse, in the northern states. Yes, they were “free” in the northern states - free to starve, to work for slave wages (literally) and free to be abused without repercussion.
In the NY City draft riots of 1863 it is estimated that at least 100 blacks were beaten to death, burned to death, hung to death from lamp posts. There was great resentment in the north that sons, husbands and lovers were being killed by the thousands to free blacks in southern states. I was made worse as whites were drafted to fight in the south and their jobs were filled with blacks who were not included in the draft. It all came to a head in the draft riots.
IMHO -If Lincoln was anywhere near as great as he is portrayed in the history books, he would have been able to negotiate a reasonable accomodation to end the war and prevented the brutal slaughter of more than 600,000 Americans.
I agree that it would have been far better had we been able to find a non-violent alternate solution. You will recall however that South Carolina started the Carnival Ride From Hell before Lincoln took office. He did try several efforts to placate the south, but they weren't having any part of it. His hand was forced.