Reference no: EM133320961
Question 1: Did the Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment involve a fundamental shift in how northerners thought about the war?
Question 2: Could the Civil War have ended without the end of slavery?
Case:
"Jackson Whitney's Letter to his Former Master" by Jackson Whitney-This document is really interesting because, again, we get see a formerly enslaved person tell it like it is to the man who "owned" him. In the letter, Whitney is telling Mr. William Riley exactly why he ran away, and that he is living a good, comfortable life in Canada, where he works and is building a life in freedom. We see from the letter that Riley was going to sell Whitney away from his wife and children, so he ran away to avoid that fate. At least in freedom he could attempt to secure their freedom. If he would have been sold, then he would likely have never seen his family again. He goes on to say that he made it to Canada, and is living a comfortable life. He also makes a point that it is un-Christian to keep families apart. Slavery does this, and he will have to answer to God someday. This document is significant for several reasons. One, it is an example of self-emancipation. Many people have the idea that Lincoln freed the slaves, or that the abolitionist movement and other social forces freed them, but when it came down to it, enslaved people had to free themselves. This is an example of that. Another significant thing is that it shows us how little control enslaved people had over keeping their families together.
"General Butler on the Contraband" (1861) by General Benjamin Butler, U.S. Army-This letter is written to Simon Cameron, the Sec. of War, and explains Butler's decision not to send enslaved Southern Blacks back after they sought refuge with the Army. This is significant because it is before Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation, which legally gives the army the authority to protect enslaved people who seek their refuge. Butler's purpose is to explain his rationale. He questions their legal status, and makes some good points about how many of these enslaved people had been abandoned, which brought up the question of who gets to claim abandoned property. He also makes the point that they can help the army with work to keep the troops rested for battle. What I think is most significant about this, is that in a year, Lincoln adopts this position. He sees how beneficial emancipation can be in terms of undermining the economy in the south, and helping the Union Army.
"Lydia Maria Child, Letter to George Julian" (1862) by Lydia Maria Child-This letter is written to Julian, who is a congressman. She is telling him that she appreciated his controversial support of the Army not returning an enslaved girl back to her enslaver. She starts off by saying that the "Framers" of the Constitution got it wrong in believing slavery would eventually die out, but notes that the best thing about a republican government is the ability to amend the Constitution. She says that ending slavery is the morally right thing to do, and that the United States needed to make amends with God for the sin of slavery. America needs to redeem herself. What's significant about this is that it shows the public pressure put on Congress to end slavery. Child was not exactly an average citizen. She was well-educated and incredibly active in the abolitionist movement, but this shows how social reform puts pressure on a government to change society.
"Mapping the Slave Population" (1861) by the U.S. Coast Survey team-This map shows the population demographics in the South. The purpose of this map was to target resources (including slaves) to determine the best ways to undermine the war effort in the south. This was done for strategic war purposes. By the summer of 1862, Lincoln had decided to go after slavery as a way to attack the economy in the south. This map helped the war department know which areas would be less populated by slaves, which might mean weak support for the confederacy.
"The Prayer of Twenty Millions" (1862) by Horace Greeley-This is a letter printed in Greeley's newspaper (NY Tribune) addressed to Abraham Lincoln about "a policy he seems to be pursuing," which is emancipation. Greeley is complaining to Lincoln that he is being too nice to the South, and that he needs to more permanently end slavery. At this point Lincoln is listening to his cabinet and attempting to appease the border states (the slave states who have not left the Union), so he is using his executive order to make slavery Illegal in the states that are in rebellion (the Confederate states), which still maintains that enslaved people are property, not free humans. Greeley is criticizing Lincoln for not giving them the natural rights they deserve as humans. He also says that it's better if the border states side with the Confederacy because at least then, Lincoln would be able to do more to actually end slavery. What's significant about this is that Greeley is assuming here that Lincoln's objective was ending slavery. It wasn't. Lincoln's main objective throughout the course of the war was to keep the Union together.
"President Lincoln, Response to Horace Greeley" (1862) by Abraham Lincoln-This is one of the most famous letters from the war written by Lincoln. He is responding to Greeley's letter, and he clearly states his purpose in leading the war. His purpose is to save the Union-to keep the U.S. together. It is not to end slavery. I think he says "save the Union" like ten times... His purpose is to let Greeley know (and the public since this was a public letter in the newspaper) that whatever he decided to do with slavery would be because it would help save the Union. Slavery was not Lincoln's objective.
"The Gettysburg Address, November 19, 1863" by Abraham Lincoln-This is the speech that Lincoln gave to dedicate a new cemetery in Gettysburg, PA after the battle of Gettysburg. This battle resulted in nearly 50,000 deaths. At this point in the war, the American people were growing very tired of the death and destruction. Although the Union won the battle, the loss was devastating. In his dedication, he states that the ground is consecrated by those who fought there. What's significant here is that Lincoln uses this moment to attach meaning to the war. He opens his remarks with a reference to the American Revolution, specifically how the nation was "conceived in liberty" and equality. He goes on to claim that the men who died at Gettysburg, did so fighting to preserve these same principles. Although Lincoln is dedicating this ground to the dead, he makes that point that it's up to the living to remain dedicated to preserve what those men died for. To me, what stands out is Lincoln's resolve to save the Union (democracy). The textbook authors suggest that he's linking the war to the cause of abolition... which is true to some degree, but I really see language here that suggests that saving the republic (democracy) is paramount.
"Lincoln and Emancipation" (1864) by Francis Bicknell Carpenter-This is a famous painting titled, "First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation of President Lincoln to his Cabinet." It depicts... well, exactly that. Carpenter was struck by the importance of this historical moment, so he painted this portrait to capture it. (It's hanging over the West Staircase in the U.S. Senate). Notice the slave map in the bottom right corner. This is to clarify that the document Lincoln is holding is the Emancipation Proclamation.
"Anticipating Emancipation" (1863) by William T. Carlton-This is another famous painting that captures the dramatic moment of the Emancipation Proclamation. This painting depicts African Americans anxiously watching the pocket watch (the man at the table is holding it) strike midnight on January, 1, 1863 (the official day the EP goes into effect). This is more of an emotional depiction of what the EP meant for so many people. Although it didn't really end slavery, it was a huge step toward ending it.
"A Gift from Abolitionists to the President" (1865) by William Lloyd Garrison-This document is from an article in Garrison's abolitionist newspaper, The Liberator. He is a very famous abolitionist, and was acquainted with President Lincoln. In this document, he is explaining that the painting by Carlton ("Waiting for the Hour") had been on public display, which had raised $500 (doesn't say what the money was used for). After the exhibition was over, the painting was given to Lincoln as a gift of appreciation for the Emancipation Proclamation (the act that enabled more than three millions of fetter to be broken). Garrison includes Lincoln's thank you letter at the end of his article. To me what stands out is how Lincoln appreciates the emotional meaning of his EP. Also, that he is a humble and nice person. Notice he signs his letter "your friend and servant."
"Speech Before the House of Representatives, January 6, 1865" by Rep. James Ashley (Republican from Ohio)-This speech is from the debates in the House of Representatives over the new 13th Amendment that abolished slavery. Ashley is an ardent abolitionist, and is making the argument that slavery is just flat out wrong, and it should be abolished in the constitution. He argues that if slavery had never been, and that if they were in that moment voting to enact the enslavement of a group of people, it would be unanimously rejected and denounced as criminal. Slavery had too long violated the principles of the country and needed to be abolished. It's a tarnish on our national character. What's significant here is that it represents the Republican abolitionist side of the debate.
"Speech Before the House of Representatives, January 10, 1865" by Rep. Fernando Wood (Democrat from New York)-This speech represents the other side of the debate. Wood is against the amendment because he supports slavery, and sympathizes with the Confederacy. Basically... he's a racist a-hole. He is responding to James Ashley's remarks on the House floor, and making the argument that slavery is not wrong... That it is in fact a good thing. He justifies slavery with the illogical argument that it's okay because enslaved people coming into the U.S. were already enslaved by Africans who sold them to us... and they are better off within the institution of slavery learning the "superior" culture of Christianity than they would be as "barbarians" in the "wilds" of Africa. He says too, that it would be a greater "evil" to end slavery and deny Africans this experience. He believes that the 13th Amendment will further harm relations between the north and south- that it is an act of "aggression" and will only result in further tensions. This is significant because it shows the pro-slavery side of the debate.
"Speech at Thirty-Second Annual Meeting of the American Anti-Slavery Society, May 10, 1865" by Frederick Douglass-Douglass gave this speech to members of the American Anti-Slavery Society a month after the end of the war and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. His main point is that the work of abolitionists is not over. The passing of the 13th Amendment may end the state of bondage for African Americans, but it does nothing for their civil rights. Until they have the franchise (voting rights), they are left at the mercy of state legislatures who can discriminate and pass laws to limit their rights. (This happens, and these laws are called Black Codes. They are deliberately passed to keep African Americans marginalized in society, and to maintain white supremacy). He makes the point that African Americans were used to end the war (nearly 200,000 Black men served in the Union army), and the southern states would hold that against them in their state legislatures. (He was right about this too). What's significant is that he is pointing out that true liberty is not in the end of slavery, it's in the granting of civil rights, including the right to vote and hold office.