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An Inevitable Homecoming : An Inevitable Homecoming

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An Inevitable Homecoming - The Enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act

The Civil War era was a time of great turmoil for the people of America, but most notably for the African American population. Around the year of 1862 the war was being fought with the primary goal to seize the Confederate South. At this time both Northern free, male slaves and runaway slaves from the South could enlist in the Northern Union army. However, most African Americans in the Confederacy were labored slaves on plantations and in the homes of plantation owners. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 discouraged the idea for slaves to run away, as it required that all escaped slaves, upon capture, to be returned to their respective masters. The presidential election of 1860 brought Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln into office, a political figure known for his extreme opposition to the practice of slavery. Despite his fervent beliefs, no true impact would be made until the Emancipation Proclamation was introduced in 1863. Until the abolishment of slavery at the end of the Civil War in 1865, African Americans continued to face the horrors of the institution, which is given a glimpse into with the photograph that I have chosen to analyze and present to you all today. The photograph that I selected is housed in Wilson Library’s Special Collections under the North Carolina Civil War - Social Aspects collection. It dates back to March of 1862, during the height of the Civil War, and was taken in

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