Civil War Dbq Essay

Since the beginning, the institution of slavery which would keep African Americans chained was bound to cause problematic for America as a whole. The controversy of African Americans were the initial reason that the Civil War even began, and they greatly shaped the course of the war through their efforts fighting for the Union which the government could not deny, they became the main reason for the war, and paved the way to the beginning of African Americans being able to grasp rights along with the hardships socially. In the years right before the Civil War began, there was growing tension between Northern and Southern states over the issue of slavery. It snapped shortly after Abraham Lincoln, who openly frowned upon slavery, won the election

Though the reason for the South secession was claimed not to be about slavery, but rather “states rights”, it was ultimately over the right to keep African Americans enslaved. For the North, though there was an abolitionist's motive, Lincoln initially fought just to keep the United States together. When Union Major General Butler came across many slaves who came to Fort Monroe for refuge from rebel states owners, he asked questions regarding their stance (Document A). He raised the unavoidable question, “is their condition that of men, women, and children, or of property, or is it a mixed relation?”, and didn’t fail to note how they were “able bodied” for the war, though initially during the beginnings of the Civil War people were hesitant to let African Americans participate. However, after a long delay even Lincoln supported Africans fighting for the Union in the Civil War, as noted in a letter where he refutes critics against the fact (Document C). The hard drive for African Americans fighting for their

The Republican party, which is rooted in anti-slavery, based their platform in the election of 1864 on terminating slavery. In their platform they state “that slavery was the cause, and now constitutes the strength of this Rebellion..” and that the “Government… has aimed a deathblow at this gigantic evil..” (Document D). Their promotion appeals to the African Americans and abolitionists, and takes it up upon the government as obligated to give the full protection of the laws of war without discrimination of color, sparking the idea that African American veterans should be honored for serving their country just as any other man. Fast forwarding to the reconstruction era, the political map (Document J) that displays participation in constitutional conventions based on race proves African American efforts to be included in the process, as no state is without Black participation despite the major discrimination and extreme measures that were typically taken to scare them away from the politics. However, racial imbalance was still going strong with exception to Louisiana, which consisted of exactly 50/50 participation between blacks and whites, and South Carolina with a 61% majority black