Selection of Research Topic

After doing research on three possible topics for my research paper, I have decided to focus on Abraham Lincoln's personal beliefs and the role that these beliefs played in the cause of the Civil War and in the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation. My revised sentence description is,
"I will be writing about the role that Abraham Lincoln's personal beliefs played in the beginning of the Civil War and the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation." My research questions will remain the same with the addition of one question. I will be asking, "Why did Abraham Lincoln have such a great desire to preserve the Union?" "Was Abraham Lincoln a Christian?" "Did he desire equal rights for black slaves, or just their emancipation?" "Was the Emancipation Proclamation created as a political move, as a strategic military move, or was it created because it was the right thing to do?" I selected this topic because I have heard a lot of different things about Abraham Lincoln and I want to know more about him. I have heard that Lincoln was a racist, and from others that he was anti-racism. I have heard that his only motivations were for political power and I from others that he was a hero that wanted to save the enslaved and the Union from the evil Confederates. I simply want to know whether Abraham Lincoln's actions came from virtue or selfish desire. I also could find a lot of information about Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War, and the Emancipation Proclamation.  

As I mentioned earlier, I have heard both negative and positive things about Abraham Lincoln. From what I can remember of my public education, Abraham Lincoln was portrayed as a hero who saved the slaves and prevented the nation from fragmenting. I do not remember learning much that was negative about him. I have also learned that the Civil War was fought almost exclusively over the issue of slavery. I do not think that I am severely influenced one way or another. I would prefer to find that Abraham Lincoln was this virtuous President to be emulated, but I would not be surprised if he was not as virtuous as he is sometimes made out to have been.  To neutralize this preference, I will acknowledge that it is a very real possibility that Abraham Lincoln did many things from selfish motivations. I am aware that it is a rare politician who does things purely from a moral point of view.