African American Civil War Museum Essay
Site Visit African American Civil War Museum The African American Civil War Museum is located right here in Washington D.C., several blocks from Howard University. The entrance to this Museum is behind grand gate and a shadowy alley, virtually sending its visitors back in time to the civil war error. The general vibe given off by the museum, however, is of pride and acknowledgement rather than grief or sorrow. When I entered the museum, I was greeted by a guide name Alan who seemed to be very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the content of the museum. The museum was structured like a timeline, he explained, starting from the abduction and enslavement of Africans on the continent, going through the Middle Passage, and ending in the involvement …show more content…
Then he asked me, “so who do you think freed the slaves?” Drawing back to my knowledge in this class, in addition to my previous African American studies course, I quickly answered that “the slaves freed themselves.” He agreed, adding that enslaved African Americans saw the civil war as an opportunity to free themselves with the help from Union forces. During the bloody peak of this War, the Union realized that it was running out of troops to fight on its side in the civil war. The confederacy has proved to be a formidable opponent. In order to win the war decisively, Abraham Lincoln had almost no choice but to enlist the aid of (previously banned) African American soldiers, and they could only do so by offering blacks their freedom. This was the origin of the Emancipation proclamation. The Emancipation Proclamation, said Alan, was actually a black enlistment proclamation. It didn’t free any slaves at all because the only slaves it liberated were under the jurisdiction of southern plantation owners who had no respect for the Union law anyways. Consequently, enslaved back people in confederate territories were not freed, but neither were those in Union territories. The Emancipation Proclamation nullified an 18th century law that banned the enlistment of black troops in fear that African Americans would use enlistment as a means to rebel against the
Ulysses S. Grant's Leadership During The Civil War
690 Words | 3 PagesUntil the Emancipation proclamation was pronounced Lincoln’s only real goal for the war was to restore the Union. It wasn’t until mid-1862 that Lincoln believed the cause for the war should be widened to ending slavery as well. Without causing trouble to the four loyal slave states, Lincoln declared that all slaves were free as of January 1, 1863. This however wasn’t the case because most slaves were still under the control of the Confederacy. This gave hope to African American slaves everywhere.
How Did Lincoln Contribute To The Gettysburg Address
1672 Words | 7 PagesThe policies on the battlefield gave him just the chance he needed take the next step in ending slavery, and he announced the initial Emancipation proclamation on September 22, 1862. The Proclamation made it legal for the blacks to enlist in the Union army and join the fight against the South. By issuing the final Proclamation in 1863, Lincoln cemented his belief that slavery was “an unqualified evil to the negro, the white man, and the State.” 5 , a position that had become unclear between the initial year of his first election and the outbreak of the Civil War. Even though regional and state-line borders posed some practical problems in supporting the Proclamation, the slaves would often get around those in the early years by making their way to the Union lines for
Similarities Between African American And White Soldiers
246 Words | 1 PagesThe key aspect discussed here is the difference and similarities between African American soldiers and white soldiers, in the Civil War. In the past African Americans were slaves in the south part of the United States. However, when Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, African Americans were freed in the Confederate states. According to the American Nation book, when the war began, thousands of free African Americans volunteered to fight for the Union. In addition, the army assigned African Americans to all-black units commanded by white officers.
What Role Did Slavery Play In The Civil War Essay
846 Words | 4 PagesAs a result, several slaves succeeded in escaping from the bondage. In 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation was announced by President Abraham Lincoln, making about three million blacks legally free in rebelling states. African Americans were used by both sides in the war for the purposes of the military (Garlan 7). In particular, these individuals were used as
Examples Of Capstone Who Deserves Credit For Ending Slavery
1246 Words | 5 Pagesthe federal government should enforce the Fugitive Slave Law and return runaways to the Confederacy,But Abolitionists answered with no. So during the war, the abolitionists pushed Lincoln's admiration that “slavery should be prohibited where it does not yet exist”. In August of 1862, Lincoln invited five African Americans to the White House, hoping to persuade them to support his plans for colonizing Black Americans outside of the United States. But the reaction among Black abolitionists was hostile. The failure of Lincoln’s colonization ideas, along with strong African American and abolitionist protests, finally convinced Lincoln to abandon colonization for Black Americans after emancipation when he finally issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1,
Ulysses S. Grant At Appomattox Analysis
695 Words | 3 PagesInitially they saw the event as a symbol of hope that their rights and their liberation where finally secure . They had served as Union soldiers who played an instrumental role in defeating the Confederacy, so naturally they believed that they had earned their freedom undeniably. Although slavery itself was abolished, living as a black person in the Jim Crow South was slavery by another name. African Americans were still bound to serving white men through labor contracts, marriage restrictions, anti-enticement laws, and many other discriminatory terms of the Black Codes that sprang up all throughout Southern states after passage of the war amendments. Many African
Why Did Lincoln Take So Long?
912 Words | 4 PagesThus came the Emancipation Proclamation to states in the Confederacy not occupied by federal forces, since under the Constitution he could only free slaves in places that claimed to be “outside” the United
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778 Words | 4 PagesDespite facing challenges, African Americans demonstrated bravery, patriotism, and dedication to the country. They made remarkable contributions to the war
Reconstruction Dbq Essay
836 Words | 4 PagesThe Civil War was supposed to solve the problem slavery caused in the United States in the late 1800s. Technically it did, but the freedoms and rights for African Americans in our country after the Civil War didn’t improve to be much better than before the war. I think that throughout the Reconstruction Era, the period of time when America started to come back together after the Civil War between 1865 and 1867, African Americans weren’t free because they were still treated like slaves without the rights of any white man. I feel a fair argument can be made to claim that African Americans weren’t free during the Reconstruction Era. Yes, because the 13th Amendment was passed, they couldn’t be slaves and were free by law, but they weren’t
External Involvement In The Civil War Essay
1242 Words | 5 PagesIn the midst of the war, over 179,000 African American soldiers served in the Union’s branches such as the navy, army, and support (Freeman and Jean). Many served as they believed this was a way to repay the Union in setting them free and possibly in the future could grant citizenship to them. Before the enlistment of African American soldiers, many laws prohibited the enlistment of African Americans (Freeman and Elise). This is surprising as many African American soldiers served in previous wars such as the American Revolution. Soon after President Lincoln gave his speech on the Emancipation Proclamation, he allowed many slaves to enlist in the Union military (Freeman and Elise).
Purpose Of The Emancipation Proclamation In 1863
1159 Words | 5 PagesAs the war started, President Lincoln had the purpose of saving the union no matter the state of slavery abolished or not. However, by issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, it was a fundamental change and it became clear that the war would result in freeing the slaves. Therefore, Issuing the proclamation in 1863 meant hope for the African American community. In practical terms, it meant that their freedom is conditioned on winning the war. That doesn’t mean this decision was meaningless.
Civil War Dbq African Americans
668 Words | 3 PagesAfrican Americans had an extremely pivotal role in the outcome and consequences of the Civil War. This group of people were enslaved, and forced to work in horrible conditions, for the whole day, without pay. Slaves were one of the main causes of the Civil War. The issue of Slavery, which resulted in the eventual economic and social division between the North and South, caused the creation of the Confederate States. African Americans did not only unintentionally cause the war, but they also effected the outcome of the war, and the eventual consequences the nation would face after the war.
Emancipation Proclamation Essay
487 Words | 2 PagesThe Emancipation Proclamation also ordered that suitable people among those freed could now be enrolled into paid service of United States ' forces, and ordered the Union Army to "recognize and maintain the freedom of" the former slaves. The Proclamation did not compensate the owners in any way, did not make slavery illegal and did not grant any citizenship to the former slaves. It only made the eradication of slavery an explicit war goal as an addition to the goal of reuniting the Union. Around 20,000 to 50,000 slaves in the southern regions where the rebellion already had been subdued were immediately emancipated. The proclamation could not be enforced in the areas still under rebellion, but when the Union Army took control of Confederate regions, The Proclamation provided the legal support framework for freeing about more than 3 million slaves in those southern regions.
Abraham Lincoln's Loss Of The Emancipation Proclamation
270 Words | 2 PagesOn January 1, 1863, Lincoln issued the last Emancipation Proclamation, which pronounced "that all people held as slaves" inside the revolt states "are, and henceforward might be free. " The announcement additionally required the enlistment and foundation of dark military units among the Union strengths. An expected 180,000 African Americans went ahead to serve in the armed force, while another 18,000 served in the naval force.
African Americans In The Civil War Essay
1523 Words | 7 PagesIn the years of the Civil War, African Americans played an important role in contributing to the Union Army and the confederate army. A great deal of African American men volunteered to join the Union Army but only after they gained freedom did they participate in fighting the war. Besides the Union Army, there was the confederate army which consisted of slave labor whom were forced to aid the confederacy following their masters. Later in the war, the Confederacy ran short on men and were in need to supply soldiers, leaving no choice but to enlist the colored men. Not only were African American men impacted from the war, but African American women also served to supply and aid in the war.
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