1. Warm up 12/7
“We are all liberated by this (emancipation) proclamation. Everybody is liberaed. The white man is liberated, the black man is liberated, the brave men now fighting the battles of their country against rebels and traitors are now liberated… I congraulate you upon this amazing change – the amazing effort toward the sacred truth of human liberty” – Frederick Douglass
In one sentence, answer: WHO is saying this, what is his ROLE in society and what does he believe?

2. African Americans and the War

3. The Push Toward Emancipation
What would Union officers do with slaves they came across?
Gen Butler declare them contraband, or captured war supplies
Fremont freed slaves he came across
General Butler

4. Slavery: Lincoln’s Dilemma
· The Civil War began as a war to restore the Union, NOT to end slavery.
“My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union.” – Abraham Lincoln, in a letter to Horace Greeley August 22, 1862

5. (left) Free and slave states prior to the Civil War.
(right) Confederate and Union states after the start of the Civil War.
Union
Confederacy

6. · Lincoln was afraid that if he ended slavery, it would anger the four proslavery states in the Union. (DE, MD, KY, and MO)
· Therefore, Lincoln decided to free enslaved African Americans in the Confederate states only.

7. Emancipation Proclamation (Emancipate – to set free)
· On January 1, 1863, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
“On the 1st day of January, in the year of our Lord 1863, all persons held as slaves within any state or…part of a state (whose) people…shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.”
· Now the Union had two goals:
- restore the Union
- end slavery in all Confederate states

8. African Americans Join the Fight
Militia Act
Allow African Americans to serve in the military (segregated units)
54th Massachusetts Regiment was an all volunteer, African American Regiment that served bravely

9. African American Soldiers
54th Mass led by Robert Gould Shaw
Led attack on Ft Wagner, most died in this attack (40% casualties)

10. African American Soldiers
AA’s still faced discrimination
Often given little tasks (cook, clean, etc)
Fort Pillow – Captured AA soldiers were massacred by the Confederacy
70,000 total AA’s died in the Civil War

11. Slaves Still Help the Union
Many whites left plantations for safety of cities
Slaves were left to farm, and were enlisted when Union forces found them
Some used as spies
Others simply leave and form own lives