🕯️African American History – Before 1865 Unit 13 – The Civil War and Emancipation

Key Events and Timeline

• Compromise of 1850 attempted to balance free and slave states, included Fugitive Slave Act (1850)
• Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed popular sovereignty to decide slavery in new territories, led to violence in "Bleeding Kansas" (1854)
• Dred Scott v. Sandford Supreme Court decision ruled slaves were not citizens and Congress could not ban slavery in territories (1857)
• John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry aimed to start a slave rebellion, Brown was captured and executed (1859)
• Abraham Lincoln elected as president, southern states began seceding from the Union (1860-1861)
• Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter, marking the beginning of the Civil War (April 12, 1861)
• Emancipation Proclamation issued, declaring slaves in rebel states free (January 1, 1863)
• Gettysburg Address delivered by Lincoln, redefining the purpose of the war (November 19, 1863)
• General Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox Court House, ending the Civil War (April 9, 1865)

Major Figures and Their Roles

• Abraham Lincoln, 16th U.S. President, led the Union during the Civil War and issued the Emancipation Proclamation
  • Assassinated by John Wilkes Booth shortly after the war ended (April 14, 1865)
• Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War
• Robert E. Lee, commanding general of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia
  • Surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, effectively ending the war
• Ulysses S. Grant, commanding general of the Union Army during the latter part of the war
• Frederick Douglass, prominent African American abolitionist and orator
  • Recruited African American soldiers for the Union Army
• Harriet Tubman, former slave who became a conductor on the Underground Railroad
  • Served as a spy and scout for the Union Army during the war

Causes and Buildup to the Civil War

• Growing tensions between the North and South over the issue of slavery
• Economic differences between the industrialized North and the agricultural South
• Debates over the expansion of slavery into new territories acquired through westward expansion
• Abolitionist movement gained momentum, with figures like William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass
• Publication of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe increased anti-slavery sentiment (1852)
• Formation of the Republican Party, which opposed the expansion of slavery (1854)
• Polarizing events such as the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Dred Scott decision further divided the nation

African American Experience During the War

• Many slaves fled to Union lines seeking freedom, known as "contraband" of war
• African Americans served in the Union Army and Navy, with over 180,000 enlisted by the end of the war
• 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, one of the first African American units, gained fame for their bravery in battle
• Discrimination and unequal treatment were common for African American soldiers
  • Paid less than white soldiers until 1864
• African American women contributed as nurses, cooks, and laundresses for the Union Army
• In the South, slaves faced harsher conditions and increased workloads as the war progressed
• Some African Americans, known as "Black Confederates," served in the Confederate Army, often in non-combat roles

Emancipation Proclamation and Its Impact

• Issued by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declaring slaves in rebel states free
• Applied only to states in rebellion, not border states or Union-controlled areas of the Confederacy
• Transformed the purpose of the war from preserving the Union to ending slavery
• Encouraged African Americans to join the Union Army and Navy
• Laid the groundwork for the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery throughout the United States (1865)
• International impact: prevented European powers from recognizing or supporting the Confederacy
• Psychological impact: boosted morale for the Union and demoralized the Confederacy

Military Strategies and Battles

• Union strategy: Anaconda Plan aimed to blockade southern ports and split the Confederacy by controlling the Mississippi River
• Confederate strategy: Defensive war, hoping to wear down the Union and gain international recognition
• Battle of Fort Sumter, the first battle of the Civil War (April 12-13, 1861)
• First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas), a Confederate victory that shattered hopes of a quick war (July 21, 1861)
• Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, ended in a tactical draw (September 17, 1862)
  • Allowed Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation
• Battle of Gettysburg, a turning point in the war and a decisive Union victory (July 1-3, 1863)
• Sherman's March to the Sea, a Union campaign that devastated Georgia and demoralized the Confederacy (November-December 1864)

Social and Economic Consequences

• Devastating loss of life, with over 600,000 soldiers killed and countless civilians affected
• Destruction of southern infrastructure and economy
  • Many southern cities and farms were burned or destroyed during the war
• Emancipation of slaves led to the breakdown of the plantation system and a transformation of southern society
• Increased role of women in the workforce and society, as men were away fighting
• Economic boom in the North due to wartime production and industrialization
• Inflation and shortages of goods in the South due to blockades and the strain of war
• Displacement and refugees, as many people fled war-torn areas or sought freedom

Legacy and Long-Term Effects

• Abolition of slavery through the 13th Amendment (1865)
• Reconstruction era aimed to rebuild the South and integrate freed slaves into society (1865-1877)
  • 14th Amendment granted citizenship to all persons born in the U.S., including former slaves (1868)
  • 15th Amendment prohibited denial of voting rights based on race (1870)
• Jim Crow laws and segregation emerged in the South, limiting the rights of African Americans
• Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s fought to end segregation and discrimination
• Ongoing debates over the Confederate flag, monuments, and the legacy of the Civil War
• Impact on American literature, art, and popular culture, with works like "The Red Badge of Courage" and "Gone with the Wind"
• Strengthening of the federal government and the presidency
• Precedent set for the use of executive powers during wartime