I want every man to have the chance, and I believe a black man is entitled to it, in which he can better his condition, when he may look forward and hope to be a hired laborer this year and the next, work for himself afterward, and finally to hire men to work for him! That is the true system.

— Abraham Lincoln on Black people

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "I want every man to have the chance, and I believe a black man is entitled to it, in which he can better his condition, when he may look forward and hope to be a hired laborer this year and the next, work for himself afterward, and finally to hire men to work for him! That is the true system." in the context of "Abraham Lincoln, "Allow the humblest man an equal chance" speech (6 March 1860) at New Haven, Connecticut." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Black people" (Quotes, I - Z) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed February 05, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Abraham Lincoln

About Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln, a self-taught lawyer and politician, steered the United States through its most tumultuous period, the Civil War. His unwavering commitment to preserving the Union and abolishing slavery forever altered the course of American history and enshrined him as a champion of equality and justice.