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Civil War Certitude

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Recommended: Slaves and the significance to the civil war

The beginning of the Civil War marked an objective not originally to free the slaves, but to merely preserve the union. Lincoln 's original goal was simply to save the country. He outwardly proclaimed, as did Congress, that he had no intention of defeating previously established institutions. As Congress and President Lincoln continued to deny that they will emancipate the slaves, the certitude still remains that everyone in this divided country is calling for something to be done concerning slavery. The government attempted to avoid the issue of slavery and Lincoln strive to keep focus on preserving the union took away from the issue. Nevertheless the extensive indications of the war for slavery could not be ignored. The immense pressure of …show more content…

Their freedom was being taken into account for military use. At this time in the war, slaves were being used to benefit the confederate cause. They were being utilized to fight for the same people who were persecuting them and against the people who were trying to free them. Simon Cameron, Lincoln 's first secretary of war was now faced with a dilemma due to this realization. Even though the blacks were being forced to fight for the confederate army, some were rushing towards union lines. Cameron was forced to decide what to do with them. Finally, in December of 1861, he presented his recommendations in his report to the President. He called for the freeing of the slaves so that they may be armed and used for the union cause. Cameron wanted the blacks to fight for their own freedom in a way. However, he did not see it fit to present to Lincoln for his consideration just yet. Accordingly he distributed his report amidst the postmasters of the largest cities. Lincoln was not so pleased with Cameron 's actions. He ordered the recall and revise of the report. Despite the President 's order, Cameron only asserted that the slaves were a military source and should not be returned to their owners. Cameron 's action only reassured Lincoln that Cameron was ill suited for the job. Within a month Edwin M. Stanton was the newly appointed Secretary of War. This incident had in no way helped the pressure for emancipation. In fact, it increased pressure on Lincoln. In the next few months, military pressure continued from all ends. The President made it crystal-clear that he wanted no one but himself to decide on

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During Abraham Lincoln’s presidency at the start of the 1860, an issue that had divided the nation was slavery. Lincoln’s election to presidency as a republic was not received well by the Southern slave states, as they thought that as a republican he was out to abolish slavery. In an effort to calm southern states and keep them from seceding from the United States, he attempts to ease them with his First Inaugural Address. In his First Inaugural Address his key points are to clam southern leaders of slave states, keep the states from seceding, and make them at ease as he enters presidency.

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Although Lincoln concentrated on his plans for Reconstruction, he didn 't apply much diligence towards the Southern properties that were lost due to technical tax evasion. Abraham Lincoln 's plan proposed land be given to Emancipation accepting "rebels", but Confederate officers and people highly involved in their government, would be closed out from this proposition. Lincoln also granted that if ten percent of the state 's majority (of those who could vote), they 'd be allowed to make a new government. This last proposition caused the North anxiety for it could allow the South to receive unneeded power, causing the original split between the regions once again.

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Until the Emancipation proclamation was pronounced Lincoln’s only real goal for the war was to restore the Union. It wasn’t until mid-1862 that Lincoln believed the cause for the war should be widened to ending slavery as well. Without causing trouble to the four loyal slave states, Lincoln declared that all slaves were free as of January 1, 1863. This however wasn’t the case because most slaves were still under the control of the Confederacy. This gave hope to African American slaves everywhere.

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You can see this in Document B, wherein 1858 Lincoln says this: “I have no purpose . . . to interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it exists . . .” Later on in the same document he also states, “There is no reason in the world why the negro is not entitled to all the natural rights . . . in the Declaration of Independence- the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” While Lincoln was running for president, he promised to leave slavery alone in the South, but he also stays true to his personal morals through his time, that slavery

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Was the war really about slavery? U.S. President Lincoln stated his policy in a letter to the New York Tribune, on August 20, 1862: "My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I

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But there were other unique obstacles in their way, which Johnson turned to the president to address. She made clear to Lincoln that she had weighed the pros and cons of her son’s enlistment beforehand. She even considered the horror that he might be taken prisoner. Confederates identified black soldiers as slave insurrectionists, regardless of their antebellum status. They released their wrath on captives in the form of summary executions and re-enslavement, as if they had engaged in high treason against the Southern nation-state.

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Although this only freed slaves in the rebellious area, it demonstrated the moral side of the war. In Lincoln's letter written in 1863, he stated “Why should they do anything for us, if we will do nothing for them?” (Doc 3). He is referring to the African Americans which shows that Lincoln’s policies and goals in the Civil War driven by the desire to enlist African Americans in fighting to preserve the Union. Consequently, the freed slaves were encouraged to enlist and take part of the Union side and army.

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At the end of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln feared that an emancipation would drive the border slave states loyal to the Union into the Confederacy. Also, he feared that this would anger conservative northerners. However, slaves convinced Lincoln that emancipation became a military and political necessity. Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation which freed the slaves.

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In order for him to do that, he would have to drive the border slave’s states into the Confederacy and anger the Northerners. The slaves have pushed the issue themselves in the summer of 1862. Thousands of the Union lines as Lincoln’s troops marched through the South. The slaves convinced President Lincoln that the emancipation was very necessary. President Lincoln had got a response to the Emancipation Proclamation.

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Douglass aimed for a direct approach to change what was an evil that required removal, however Lincoln was more in favor of reunite the divided country first. In retrospect, given Lincoln’s circumstances, he had to keep his approval rate tolerable and also follow his own beliefs, but he could not do both of these at the same time. Both men shared a respect for each other despite their differences, and were grateful for their partnership for their shared opinion of social and political restructure. During the period of reconstruction, when Lincoln started it and when it had carried on to Andrew Johnson, there was still a period of unrest. There was no more support from Lincoln due to his untimely death, and so Douglass had to carry his word around with only his supporters to aid him.

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President Lincoln stated that: “if I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it,..., and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would do it.”. This quote clearly shows that the freedom of slaves was not his concern and unnecessary if it did not help the Union; as the result, slavery still exists if there is no war. Free slave from bondage should be a Great Emancipator’s primary goal and he will do his best to achieve it no matter what, but president Lincoln’s thought differed from that because all he cares was the Union. Although he had many times admitting himself an anti-slavery but his words and thoughts obviously prove that he is

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In fact he said that if he could save the Union without freeing any slaves he would do it. Lincoln did believe that all men (including black men) should have the right to improve their condition in society and to get paid for their labor. However, he did not believe that black men could

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It also did not apply to the slaves within the border states. Although the Union slaves were not free, they were able to become soldiers and sailors. Lincoln made sure all Union commanders would help in forming black units to fight in battle. This gave the slaves an actual chance to fight for their freedom.

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This Proclamation removed the Confederate’s strongest form of production and disarmed a large amount of their army. During the Civil War, the South’s economy was based off of slavery, primarily, so taking away many slaves had a great effect on the economy. In a letter to President Lincoln, sent in August 1863, Confederate general Ulysses S. Grant observed that the Proclamation, combined with the usage of black soldiers by the U.S. Army, profoundly angered the Confederacy, saying that “the emancipation of the Negro, is the heaviest blow yet given the Confederacy. The South rave a great deal about it and profess to be very angry.” Thus, no compromise was made and the Union and Confederacy went to

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Lincoln’s main purpose was freedom, and the blacks began to search for identity. On 1 January 1863, “Lincoln proclaimed that the freedom of all slaves in rebellious regions was now a Union war aim- ‘an act of justice’ as well as ‘military necessity’

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