Essay on The American Civil War

“The beginning of the Civil War marked the beginning of the end of slavery in the American South” (Berlin, 3). The Civil War started from opposing states’ opinions; the South thrived on slavery’s economic impact while the North opposed the institution. The issue of slavery divided the nation, and the contrasting views of the anti-abolitionists and abolitionists caused the war to occur. Slavery’s impact in the United States started in the 1600’s, and the large influence made the process of ending the enslavement of blacks more difficult. The Emancipation Proclamation served as an important government document, containing controversial ideas about abolishing slavery. Lincoln issued the

Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass were alike in many ways, especially on how to end slavery. One devoted his life’s work to the abolition of slavery in America and to becoming the leader of the many African people. The other became the President of United States whose sole reason for starting the Civil War (1861-1865) was to preserve the national unity and later led to the abolition of slavery in America. Two men with the difference in political position have nothing in common at first. And yet, form a relationship like no other relationship has ever impacted the future of race relations in the United States more than that of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Never once had they meet each other personally until the Emancipation

The Civil War is widely regarded as the bloodiest war in US history. Roughly 620,000 soldiers died fighting both for and against the abolition of slavery. During this era, many advocates for the abolition of slavery gave speeches in order to convince the nation of the evils of the institution of slavery. One of the most important of these advocates was a former slave named Frederick Douglass who became literate while a slave and gave many speeches to many different audiences. In Frederick Douglass’ speech to the Rochester Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society on July 5, 1852, entitled ¨What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?¨, he presents his goals of abolishing slavery and enforcing equality between people of color and white people. Although legally it appears that his goals have been accomplished, the mindset and inequality of Douglass’ time still exists, and it is becoming more prevalent in the US.

Abraham Lincoln once said to George Robertson “‘Can we, as a nation, continue, together permanently—forever—half slave, and half free?’ The problem is too mighty for me. May God, in his mercy, superintend the solution.” (Hobson, 1912) This he wrote in a private letter in 1855. It was another year before Lincoln felt ready to think about saying the same thing in a way that would be really heard. He made his position clear September 18, 1858, stating “I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races,” going on to say that he opposed blacks having the right to vote, to serve on juries, to hold office and to intermarry with whites. (Mintz, S., & McNeil, 2016) The Civil War in the United States was inevitable. The great sectional differences between North and South were far too great, and the main reason for these differences was the fact that slavery underlay both the southern economy and society. No one, not even Abraham Lincoln could dispute the growing gap between the nation at that time.

“I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the united states, by the power in me invested as Commander-In-Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States in time of actual armed rebellion against the authority and government of the United States, and as fit and necessary war measure for suppressing said rebellion, do, on this 1st of January, A.D. 1863” (Lincoln). The Anti-Slavery Movement began in the 1830’s and came to an end around the 1870’s. The leaders of the Anti-Slavery Movement that helped the slaves get freedom were Abraham Lincoln who wrote the “Emancipation Proclamation”; William Lloyd Garrison was editor of an abolitionist newspaper and got people involved in what was happening to slaves; Frederick Douglass was an escaped slave who became and important leader; Harriet Tubman she lead slaves escape from slave owners; and William Lloyd Still was a conductor of an underground railroad. The purpose of the Anti-Slavery Movement was to give freedom to all slaves. The title of the speech is “Emancipation Proclamation” and was written by Abraham Lincoln on the 22nd of September 1862, and took affect January 1st, at the White House in Washington, DC. Lincoln wanted equal rights and freedom for all slaves. In presidents Abraham Lincoln’s “Emancipation Proclamation” speech, he motivated his intended audience during this Anti-Slavery Movement by using the rhetorical devices of rhetorical questioning and pathos.

President Abraham Lincoln was the foremost topic of importance when regarding the causes for the crisis and war that took place in the United States presented by Douglass’ contemporaries. They claimed that before Lincoln’s presidency there was tranquility among the states: “Before Lincoln there was a peace; after Lincoln there was rebellion” (Shi, Mayer, 2013, p. 433). Ironically, the first task on Lincoln’s agenda for his presidency was focusing on maintaining peace within the states: “he was “devoted to peace”” (Tindall, Shi, 2013, p.494). Lincoln opted to make a statement during his inauguration promising that he would remain out of the affairs of the southern slave states and their slave business: “Lincoln repeats his pledge not “to interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it exists”” (Tindall, Shi, 2013, p.495). However, Lincoln did not tolerate the secession of the southern states saying it was unlawful and that he would continue the same policies of taxes, tariffs, etc. that had been set in place before his presidency. Lincoln was under the impression that his actions would lead the states towards a time of peace. However, Douglass’ contemporaries believed, Lincoln’s presidency was a turn towards crisis and rebellion. The main issues at

Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president, was one of the most decorated commander-in-chiefs in American History, due to his never-ending push to mend our broken nation and move to the beginning. Nevertheless, many African Americans were forced to come to America to be sold into slavery in 1619. While the treatment of slaves was very unfair and, in many cases, inhumane, and was plagued with a lifetime of hard work and humiliation, after a little more than a hundred years President Lincoln took steps to not only voice his discomfort with slavery, but to do something about it. It is because of this discomfort that Abraham Lincoln notably

The quote mentioned above was proclaimed by African American abolitionist Frederick Douglass, and served as motivation for African Americans to enlist in the Union’s Army efforts and take an initiative in their future. With President Abraham Lincoln's issue of his Preliminary draft of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, the Civil War developed to be a war to ultimately save the union and to abolish slavery. Blacks overall played a substantial part in the victory of

Frederick Douglass was one of the staples in African American history and was a well-educated anti-slavery activist that was passionate in African American’s freedom. At a young age, Douglass was thrust into the world of slavery but, nevertheless, was able to escape enslavement and become a powerful, anti-slavery and civil rights activist. Born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, the abolitionist who was able to finally become a free man at the age of 20, was a prominent figure in African American history. After escaping to freedom, Frederick Bailey changed his name to what became the revered, intelligent lecturer and public speaker, Frederick Douglass. He composed several literary works, including A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave and The Heroic Slave. He also delivered an address called, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” in Rochester, New York on July 5th, 1852. Aiding former President Abraham Lincoln after the Emancipation Proclamation, he also helped to recruit Black troops into the Union Army (“Notable Visitors: Frederick Douglass,” 2002-2015). He married Anna Murray in 1838 after they gained freedom, thus going on to have five children together (“Frequently Asked Questions,” 2015). They remained married until her death in 1882 (“Frequently Asked Questions,” 2015). Though there were many occurrences where Douglass could have given up on the wants for freedom, he never completely lost hope, nor

Frederick Douglass was an African-American abolitionist leader and intellect. He was born into slavery in Talbot County, Maryland. While a slave, he learned to read and write from his slave owners, white children, and other people in the community. He endured 21 years of slavery before escaping to freedom the North. He became an anti-slavery speaker. Douglass encouraged the United States of America to preclude slavery up to the Civil War.

Douglass was a voice and leader among abolitionists. Days before the Civil War ended, he spoke to the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. In his speech, titled “What the Black Man Wants”, he called freedom enfranchisement and citizenship. Douglass said, “Shall we be citizens in war, and aliens in peace?” Freedom also meant freedom to fail. “If the Negro cannot stand on his own legs, let him fall.” Whites “[interfering] is doing him a positive injury.” He pleaded to not “prop up the Negro. Let him fall if he cannot stand

Frederick Douglass (Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey) was one of the most important African American leaders of the nineteenth century. He was an abolitionist, an orator a human rights leader, and a supporter of Women’s Rights. Born as a slave, he escaped from slavery at age 20 and adopted a new surname from the hero of Sir Walter Scott's The Lady of the Lake. Being an advisor to President Abraham Lincoln, Douglass knew various causes of the Civil War. Some of these causes were the freedom of slaves and blacks right to serve in the military.

On July 5th, 1952, Frederick Douglass addressed the ladies of the Rochester Anti-Slavery Sewing society in his famous speech, titled “What to the slave is the fourth of July?” 1 In this address, Douglass points out the hypocrisies between the principles of the American Constitution and the way in which American society functioned at the time. Prior to this speech, his early experiences, friendships, and observations of different aspects of society pushed him to advocate for the participation of blacks in American democracy and freedom, and later in opposition to the many voices within the abolitionist movement that argued for the opposite. While Douglass saw the blatant contradictions between the words of the Revolution and the way in which marginalized groups were treated by most of the ruling white-male population, he was by no means against the principles outlined within the Declaration of Independence or the United States as a nation. Douglass’s thought was very much an olive branch between the ruling white class and the enslaved and disenfranchised black population. His self-made story, inspiring influences, and determination to promote American freedom amongst the many evil aspects in the country he lived in made him one of the most important intellectual figures in the road to abolishing slavery.

After Antietam, one of the bloodiest one day battles in history, Abraham Lincoln sent out a preliminary warning about the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation which would declare all slaves in rebellious states, as of January 1, 1863, to be free. He defended the proclamation as being “exclusively to save the Union.” and as beneficial for the war effort because if “the negroes should cease helping the enemy, to that extent it weakened the enemy in his resistance.”(Source 3) Though the Democratic party would say otherwise, at this point in the war, the Emancipation Proclamation was viewed by the Republican party as really only being for the war effort and not racial equality. This thought would begin to change as Lincoln realized that the resizing and commissioning the freed slaves back into slavery after the war “can not be; and it ought not to be.” (Source

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.