lincoln and immigration

 

Lincoln generally welcomed immigration, seeing newcomers as a source of strength for the nation rather than a threat. He opposed nativist movements like the Know‑Nothings and even signed the first federal law actively encouraging immigration.

🌍 Lincoln’s Attitude Toward Immigrants

Lincoln believed immigrants should face no barriers to coming to America. In a speech to German-born citizens in Cincinnati in 1861, he said: “If there are any abroad who desire to make this the land of their adoption, it is not in my heart to throw aught in their way.”

He often framed immigration in terms of the universal brotherhood of man, arguing that people had a duty to improve not only their own condition but also to help others do the same.
Lincoln rejected nativist politics, insisting that degrading immigrants contradicted the nation’s founding principle of equality.

📜 Policy Actions

• In his Third Annual Message to Congress (1863), just weeks after the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln urged lawmakers to welcome immigrants as a “source of national wealth and strength”.

• He signed the Act to Encourage Immigration (July 4, 1864), the first and only major U.S. law explicitly designed to promote immigration. It created a federal office to recruit and assist immigrants, especially to meet labor needs during the Civil War.

• This marked a shift from earlier policies that were often restrictive or left immigration to states and private groups.

✨ Big Picture

Lincoln saw immigration as essential to America’s growth, both economically and morally. His stance contrasted sharply with the nativist Know‑Nothings, who wanted to limit immigrant rights.

By welcoming immigrants, Lincoln tied immigration to the American Dream — the idea that anyone could come, work, and thrive in a free society. In short: Lincoln viewed immigration as a positive force, consistent with America’s creed of equality and opportunity. His policies and rhetoric made clear that newcomers were not a danger to be feared, but partners in building the nation.

Lincoln’s letters remind us that prejudice is always a distraction from principle. By refusing to trade one injustice for another, he showed that America’s creed must be applied universally or it collapses. His words challenge us still: equality is not negotiable.”

🔹 Punchy Ending

“For Lincoln, the Know‑Nothings were not a rival but a symptom of decline. His answer was simple: stand by the creed of equality, even when it is inconvenient. Anything less is hypocrisy — and hypocrisy is worse than tyranny.”

🔹 Modern Resonance Ending

“Lincoln’s rejection of nativism was not just about the 1850s. It was about the survival of democracy itself. His insistence that liberty cannot be selective speaks across centuries, reminding us that the test of a republic is whether it protects the vulnerable, not panders to fear.”