A New Birth of Freedom: The Civil War, 1861-1865

14.2 The Coming of Emancipation

Slavery and the War

• Wars cause revolutions– Slavery central part of Southern society– War will destroy it

• Lincoln promotes Northern values– Preserving democracy & free labor

• Lincoln ignores slavery in 1st year– Keep border states (2.6M W, 500K slaves)– Northern conservatives

• Crittenden Resolution 1861– Union has no intention of interfering with

slavery

Slavery Unraveling

• Ignoring it ends by end of 1861

• Military treats slaves as contraband of war– Property of military value, subject to

confiscation

• To Blacks it’s a “freedom war”

• Antislavery northerners insist emancipation necessary to weaken South’s ability to sustain war

Steps Toward Emancipation

• Aug. 61 Gen. Fremont frees slaves in MO• March 62 congress prohibits army from returning

slaves & abolition in DC• 2nd Confiscation Act – freed slaves in Union

occupied terr. & escaped to Union lines• Lincoln tries to get control 61-62

– Rescinds Fremont’s order– Gradual emancipation & colonization for border

slaves

Lincoln’s Decision

• Understands emancipation a political & military necessity.

• Sec. State W. Seward wait until a victory

• 9/22/62 5 days after Antietam – Preliminary EP– Warned if South didn’t lay down arms by end

of 1862 he would decree abolition.

North Reacts

• Bad

• Dems gain seats in Fall elections

• Rep. lose IN & IL govt’s, & lose Gov of NY

The Emancipation Proclamation

• Jan. 1, 1863

• Slaves in Confederate held terr. are free

• Excluded border states

• Jubilation– Free blacks & abolitionists (North)– “contrabands” & slaves (South)

• Altered nature of the CW & US history

Lincoln’s Change

• No compensation or colonization• Enlist black troops• “The Great Emancipator”• No longer just about preserving the Union• Now about the transformation of the

Southern way of life and redefining American freedom

• Freed slaves would become part of America

Enlisting Black Troops

• Radical provision in the EP

• 180,000 served in army

• 24,000 navy

• Most were emancipated slaves from South

The Black Soldier

• Service was a liberating experience– 130 will serve in office after war

• Didn’t receive equal treatment are pay

• Crucial role in winning war and defining war’s consequences

54th Massachusetts

• July 18th 1863 attack Fort Wagner SC

• Col. Robert Shaw- “Negro troops”

• Shaw & half of the 600 men killed.

• Aug. 10th Frederick Douglass tells Lincoln Negro & white troops should be equal.