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How Did African Americans Contribute To The Civil War Dbq

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DBQ The Civil War began in 1861 but the issue of slavery was not the central focus of the war effort. The war began for many political reasons, mainly the aim of the Union side to preserve the Union and make sure it remains together as a country. While the North fought to preserve the Union, the South fought to preserve what they believed to be state rights. During the war, Abraham Lincoln created what is called the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that “all person held as slaves” within rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.” Following the war, African Americans throughout the war led to an alteration in the goals of the war, and therefore a contribution to the new politics and culture that followed later. As the war between the North and the South progressed, the abolition of slavery didn’t take a strong stand until after the Emancipation Proclamation. In document 1, Benjamin F. Butler questions, “Are these men, women, and children slaves? Are they free?” (Doc 1). At the …show more content…

Although this only freed slaves in the rebellious area, it demonstrated the moral side of the war. In Lincoln's letter written in 1863, he stated “Why should they do anything for us, if we will do nothing for them?” (Doc 3). He is referring to the African Americans which shows that Lincoln’s policies and goals in the Civil War driven by the desire to enlist African Americans in fighting to preserve the Union. Consequently, the freed slaves were encouraged to enlist and take part of the Union side and army. Their addition into the fight against the confederacy was a great benefit for the Union. Therefore, the great contribution of African Americans in the Civil War with hopes of achieving freedom and rights caused an entirely new goal of the war and contributing to the Union victory in this bloody

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