African Americans Civil War Essay

This make-up is funda workforcetally ab knocked out(p) the mold African the Statesns had on the courtly contend. The subjects world addressed include caustic soldiers, the Underground Rail thoroughfare, Frederick Douglass, religion, and the abolitionist move handst. The integral brilliance of African the Statesns in the civilian war is that they changed the meaning and exercise of the contend from being about unification to being about sla truly, and the e piece of musiccipation of slaves.In the atomic number 18as of participating in the labor in both involution and lecturing, the makeup delves into the reasons behind such action, and the national consequence of African American federation in all of the aforework forceti iodined areas. We were at times remarkable buoyant, sing Hymns, and making joyous exclamations, almost as Triumphant in their whole t iodine as if we had reached a land Of e realitycipation and safety. A keen percipient might assimilate Detecte d in our repeated singing of O Cannan, sweet Canaan I am bound for the land of Canaan, roughthing much than a hope of reaching heaven. We Meant to reach the North, and the North was ourCanaan. -Frederick Douglass Introduction The richness of the opprobrious culture during the years of the Civil War can non be verbalized without a discussion of bondage, abolition, and the freedom the African American race faced. In the southeast as well up as the North, disfavour abounded, and in that resultant is form the fettered move ment of the African Americans. In this paper, the issues of freed blacks in the Civil War will be addressed these include save sure enough are not limited to slavery, abolition, religion, black soldiers, the Underground Railroad and of prey Frederick Douglass.In the course of the next pages, these topics will be discussed with brief historical accounts using textual evidence, and the sentiments of the tension surrounded by, not further the master-s lave relationship, exclusively excessively the relationship of exsanguinous officers and black soldiers. It is the duty of history to extol the accounts of the merry men and women who made freedom possible for an entire race in this paper, a glimpse of those people and the adversity they challenged will be aggrandized and the onus of black culture and their contri thation to their own revolution will be dissected.In the influence of African American muchs and value and their command in history over a few decades during the Civil war, it is freedom and the remedy to express themselves without prejudice, that makes them a strong people, and in this paper those influences on America will be made explicit. Why are African Americans at War The idea of African Americans at war during the Civil War is an answer that can be found in the crescendo of abolitionist speeches. foresweard blacks wished to be at war to free their brothers and sisters who were still slaves they were at war for many reasons. The call to war could not beat been met with any more gusto than it was meet in the black community, as McPherson (1965) quotes You, egg atome fellow-citizens, institute a very large majority of the voters thitherfore we appeal to you to die hard by us, and foregather that we are not un retributively punishedWe are weak-you are strong. We are few in numbers you are numerous. O, men of MassachusettsTell us not that t present are both kinds of rights rights of the rich, which you respect because you essential rights of the poor, on which you trample because you dare Freedom has been your legacy from birth by some of us it has been achieved. We know what oppression is defend us from this political oppressionSome of us have experient the unutterable anguish of expiration our dear ones for the sake of freedom. We appeal to you to fearless and protect us in the freedom which we have sought. Let us not be exiled form the State of our adoption (15).McPherson goes on to express that in the freed blacks their was a ferocity to be done with the injustice delivered to them, and the sales outlet for such animosity could be found in Lincolns call to arms for volunteers to staunch the south rebellion. The Union could only be re-united through war African American roles were pivotal in the outcome. There could be no compromise in the issue of slavery men were born free, not sold, not bartered. The African American influence in this regard was their quick approval of such sentiment and their quick action to restore themselves as human.McPherson further emphasizes the innate reaction for action on the part of free blacks, As we sympathize with our white fellow-citizen at the read crisis, and to show that we can and do feel interested in the fall in state of affairs and as we consider ourselves American citizens and interested in the Commonwealth of all our white fellow-citizens, although deprived of all our political rights, we besides wish the government of the joined States to be sustained against the tyranny of slavery, and are willing to assist in any honorable way or manner to sustain the present Administration.We thus tender to the state the operate of the Hannibal Guards (20). There should be not question as to why African Americans so whole- meatedly figured in the Civil War. In the following pages, their participation as soldiers, as Underground Railroad directors and as a race attain to be educated and rid of the fetters that shackle them, will be explored, explained, and expounded upon. black Soldiers It is often misjudged the amount of free blacks who participated in their own emancipation.As slaves, African Americans were subject to ineffable amounts of torture and pain Mothers and sisters were forced into prostitution, men were uninvolved from their families and the entire race was thought of as less than human, a barbarity of mankind. With these sentiments and the labor forced upon them, the simpl e act of combat in rebellion against such strife and animosity should come as little amazement when reading the history books. The driving force of export in the South was built upon black labor, and the disillusionment that such labor could be forevermore enslaved was ludicrous.The types of influence that African Americans had during such a time were found in the ever-popular blues music, and gospel. While working in the fields it was song that men, women, and children would mold to, to pass the time and feel united. This however is only a nonaged scope of the participation African Americans play during the infant conception of our domain . During the Civil War, blacks were enlisted as soldiers. The sentiment was very diverse in this subject.Some blue whites did not agree with blacks participating with them, they held a dichotomy of views between wanting the blacks to be free and having them serve with them. In this regard, black regiments were incepted and it was hold that the commanders of these regiments would be retired white military leaders so that the general dregs of the people still felt the commodity of safety when thinking about blacks component in the war with whites. Thus prejudice is proved to be very much alive even in the cultured North. In McPhersons book The Negros Civil War (1965), he states,patronage the fact that Negro soldiers had fought for the United States in the Revolution and in the War of 1812, a federal law barred slanted men from component in state militias, and there were no Negroes in the regular United States Army. A group of Boston Negroes met in the Twelfth Baptist Church on April 23 to call for the repeal of laws that kept colored men out of the army. Robert Morris, a Negro lawyer in Boston, declared that if the Government would only take away the dis superpower, there was not a man who would not leap for his knapsack and musket, and they would make it intolerable hot for Old Virginia.On April 29 a Negro drill co mpany was organized in Boston, and in subsequent weeks the colored men of Massachusetts sent several(prenominal) petitions to the legislature praying for the repeal of discriminatory militia laws (20). In this quote is found the discriminatory actions of the side of the war that is supposed to be sympathetic towards the mesh of African Americans. Though it could not considered direct hostility, the fact that at primary blacks were denied to participate physically in their own emancipation was a deterring answer in the process of freedom.During the course of the war it should also be cited the black regiments proved themselves with valor and without trepidation. It is documented that the Secretary of War denied the right of blacks to participate in fighting . The general fears of the Northern states were negated, and this fact is found particularly true for the victory in Port Hudson. Colonel Higginsons regiment on May 27, 1863 (a black regiment) fought against a Confederate stro nghold, and though they were not victorious, they gained the accolades of the white regiments for their bravado during the battle.As McPherson quotes of this episode, The self-forgetfulness, the undaunted heroism, and the great endurance of the negro, as exhibited that day, created a new chapter in American history for the colored man (185) . In this event, prejudice was all solely vanquished from the white soldiers minds. The influence witnessed and recorded here proves undeniably that African Americans were essential in the fight against slavery, and the eventual event of their own freedom as well as staunching the belief organization of the majority Northern sentimentality.To further expound on these heroic traits brought onward by black regiments, and the clouded judgment of white soldiers and officers, McPherson offers these accounts on the prejudice and the overcoming of such bigotry, A white officer of engineers who had witnessed the assault declared that you have no idea h ow my prejudices with regard to negro troops have been dispelled by the battle the other day. The brigade of negroes behaved magnificently and fought splendidly could not have done better.They are far superior in discipline to the white troops, and just as brave. And the moderate New York Times, commenting on the reports of the battle, state that this official testimony settles the question that the negro race can fightIt is no longer possible to doubt the bravery and steadiness of the colored race, when rightly ledA Philadelphia Negro wrote privately on June 11, 1863, that everyday sentiment has undergone a great change in the past calendar month or two, and more especially since the brilliant exploits of the several colored regiments (185-187)Indubitably, the values the Northern states once held about blacks quickly vanished with word coming from the battle field of the African Americans own fortitude in fighting against their former oppressors.Prior to the war, Northern states h eld similar attitudes that the Southern states exuded that of African Americans being a weaker race, and thus justifiably enslaved, as Glatthaar expresses in risky in Battle (1991), Yet like Southerners, Northern whites had powerful prejudices against blacksIt was one thing, most Northerners reasoned, to regard the enslavement of the black race as untamed and inhumane it was another to ask Northerners to regard blacks as their equals or satisfying them as neighbors and friends (11-12).The small earthquake that the blacks gave to the whites during the Civil War was their unflinching determination during battle. To remedy the unjustified sentiments of the Northern populace, black regiments were mandated with white officers. This structure decelerate the advancement of worthy black soldiers, and further impressed upon the African American race that they were oppressed. However, the struggle to be allowed to be soldiers was such that when granted the opportunity, the qualms of the organization were shadowed by the joy to actually be allowed to fight in battle.Though the influence of black regiments during the Civil War is concrete in history, the conclusion of such an arrangement was debilitating to the idea of ending slavery. downcast regiments were not at first allowed to be commanded by an African American officer, but as Glatthaar states, From the very beginning it was evident that white men would officer these new black units. Lincoln and the War Department believed they must make this program as palatable as possible to the Northern public and soldiery, to diminish the controversy in an already controversial proposal. i of the best substance to do that was to reassure Northern citizens that white men would ever be in charge (35) In the false debate of these displays of military obstinacies, blacks were commanded by (as s avail prior) retired white officers . This arrangement furthered the absurdity of the fictional inferiority of blacks, as Glatth aar further extrapolates, Because most Americans had doubts about the innate ability of blacks to fight nubively, they hoped that highly competent white officers would significantly upgrade black units. Here again, blacks felt the severe constraint of prejudicial contradictions.On the one hand, casting aside the numerous examples in American history in which blacks had fought well, substantial numbers of both soldiers and civilians believed that blacks were inferior humans, more akin to savages, and therefore would be extremely difficult to control once in a killing frenzythe conclusion was that the best white men could grapple the immense responsibility of commanding black soldiersOf course, barring blacks from command positions stifled their opportunities for advancement, but ideally the selection process would secure quality officers , who in turn would help build outstanding black unitsTo ensure its subsequence and success, for the benefit of all blacks, many believed it was best to give them the finest officers available-who happened to be whit veterans. Once the public began to accept black soldiers and acknowledge their wartime contributions, then they could arise the idea of black officers (35-36)In the influence that black soldiers had on the Civil War it is apparent that the strides taken with the community of African Americans had an overwhelming effect on the preconceived notions both the North and the South had about blacks, and in this discovery is shown the lastingness of that race to prove not only to these sides but to themselves that united they could share in battle the fighting as well as the victory. The Underground Railroad With any discussion concerning the influence African Americans had on the Civil War and by extension on America it is in the Underground Railroad that a true staple of American history was ignited. African Americans not only found their way to freedom through the succor of sympathizers but were themselves strongl y involved with aiding other slaves onto the road to a new and free life. There was a great cram of religious peoples involved in the success of theUnderground Railroad but African Americans were the third pillar of this unique system . In the Free states of the Union, especially those that bordered the Ohio River, their strength in numbers was overwhelming . The rivers environ Northern states were very reliant upon the water as a means of transportation and it helped escaped slaves cross over from Kentucky. Along with helping to aid the recently freed blacks, fellow African Americans were conductors, and agents helping to signal when and where a man should go, and other black hamlets, which abounded near the rivers, were key holding areas where fugitives could rest, and eat, regaining strength before continuing onto the next leg of the journey.As Bordewich writes in backfire for Canaan (2005), In the Sardinia area, north of Ripley, reputedly the most reliable conductor for many years was a freed slave named John D. Hudson, a man of good intellect and powerful physique and when enraged of no more fear than a mad bull as Beck described him (200). sensation extraordinary account of freed slaves is witnessed in Lancaster County in Pennsylvania. This county was home to conservative Germans, Amish, and Mennonites as well as Quakers. This county was home to hundreds of fugitives, who were either just arriving or leaving to find their homes up North as far as Canada. most(prenominal) of the fugitives, however, found themselves gainfully employed, and had even made houses for themselves. Since the population was growing with fugitives, the degree was a magnet for slave hunters.As Bordewich states of Lancaster County, In 1851 Lancasters blacks lived in a state of permanent high alert against gangs of night-riding kidnappers who broke into cabins without warning, seized men and women in their sleep, and carried away entire families (326). 1851 was a year for great influence in the African American culture. Their work with the Underground Railroad had sustain that their strength in numbers could bring about great change. Bordewich brings to the straits of the railroad system the efforts of Lewis Hayden, Jermain Loguen, and William Parker and states, These men knew instinctively that the tide of history was ladder in their favor.The Christiana resistance had been planned and carried out entirely by African Americans, who had faced down the federal government and won, showing for all to see that blacks could and would defend themselves on a field of battleBlacks had always played an assertive and sometimes dominant role within the clandestine purlieus of the underground, but this was the first time that they had done so in the open, and in the heart of two major cities, no less (343). Bordewich describes the Underground Railroad, not as a fixed system that does not alter to changing needs, but as a diverse system abundant in adaptability and the precursor to rapidly change in a threatening event.These changes were house, and shelter changes, as well route changes that the fugitives could travel to safety by. The immense influence the African Americans had in altering the Civil War is found not just by their escaping and using of the railroad, but also by their integral roles in aiding other fugitives in escape. Bordewich states, The Underground Railroad is often visualized as a fixed system that , once established, was rarely altered. In actuality, routes were always in fluxLevi Coffin stated that during his lifetime he had instantaneously and indirectly help about thirty-three hundred fugitives to escape from slavery (230). This number is just a small amount compared to all the fugitives aided by the Underground Railroad .