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Calvin Holly's Letter Protest Conditions After Civil War

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Overview: Calvin Holly’s A Black Union Soldier’s Letter Protesting Conditions After the War was written to Major General O. O. Howard on December 16, 1865 in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Holly tells Howard how people of color have been struggling to survive since the end of the Civil War. Holly describes how freedman and women have faced challenges like losing their homes, sleeping in the freezing cold, being forced back into slave-like living conditions, and being murdered and left in the street. Holly calls for equal rights to that of a white man. Analysis: Holly sent this letter to Major General O. O. Howard because Howard was not only a war general, but also the commissioner of the Freedmen’s Bureau. It’s important to note that instead of sending a letter to congress or to someone in higher power, Holly sent this letter to Howard. This could be because Holly thought it would have been ignored, had the letter been sent to congress or because he was so strategic that he sent the letter directly to someone who could make a difference. This source is really interesting because it resembles issues that we see today, yet the solution back then was so much more effective, at least …show more content…

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