Essay On African Americans After The Civil War

The Civil War that stretched across America from 1861 to 1865 activated the violent decades of the division between the North and South regions. Economically and Politically different, the North heavily depended on free labor and industrial economy, whereas the South revolved around and agricultural economy that benefited from slave labor. These differencing opinions that developed throughout the Civil War had a deep impact on the divide in American during Reconstruction. After the Civil War ended there was a million questions as to what to do with all the recently freed slaves. There were an abundant of opposing ideas as to how to treat these newly freed slaves and the loosing white southerners of the Confederacy. In the book, South vs. South,

In the beginning, Northerners were very content with slavery continuing where it already existed, but opposed the spread of slavery into recently acquired Western territories. The Northern Whites believed that the way to a stable society and freedom in America included the abolishment of Slavery. Before acquiring Western territory, Northerners were very content with slavery continuing where it already existed and not spreading to American territories. Abraham Lincoln representing the Republican Party highlighted Northern White views in one of his campaign speeches by expressing that the United States could not endure being “half-slave and half-free”. Lincoln’s goal after being elected presidency in 1860 was “to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could freeing all the slaves I would do it” (Freehling p. 87). Southern resistance to the abolishment of slavery and executive orders, such as the Emancipation Proclamation, created deep rifts in America that led to many Southern states succeeding and joining the Confederate States.

Freeling described the North and South views and actions towards African Americans by stating “Northerners furthered the black race but shunned black individuals, while Southerners enslaved the race and embraced the individual” (pg.92). This shows that African Americans struggled to gain freedom and equality in not just the South but also the North. Even though President Lincoln fought for the emancipation of Slavery, he still did not view African Americans as equal. Freed slaves gained some freedom after the Civil War from the Emancipation Proclamation and the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865. During Reconstruction, many freed slaves and blacks fought for their rights to vote and to own land, knowing that true freedom rested on securing their economic and political rights. They established their own institutions, including black churches and schools, and strengthened their family ties by legalizing their marriages and by reuniting with family that had been sold or traded under