African Americans and the War

1

Enslaved African Americans Seek Refuge

• Abraham Lincoln begins to face pressure at home to address slavery�
• When on the battlefield, Union officers did not know what to do with enslaved African Americans who came under their control
• Union General Benjamin Butler had gathered black refugees into camps and set them to complete manual labor
• General John Fremont declared that enslaved people who came under his command were set free
• Lincoln reversed this order because he feared push back from the border states

2

Lincoln’s Plan Needs a Victory

• Lincoln knew that he could not continue to avoid the issue of slavery and began working on a plan to free enslaved African Americans living in the Confederate states �
• Lincoln shared his plans with a group of cabinet members who generally supported the idea but suggested that he wait until the Union troops won a major victory in battle

3

The Battle of Antietam

• Confederate General Lee decided to bring his troops into Maryland, a border state where many people favored the South for 3 main reasons
• To inspire a pro-Confederate uprising
• Hoping that attacking the Union on their territory may encourage European countries to recognize the Confederacy
• Try to acquire an abundance of food and supplies for his army �
• Lee issued a “Proclamation to the People of Maryland” which invited them to ally with the South but the people did not respond as he wanted�
• In addition, Union soldiers found General Lee’s battle plans wrapped around a set of cigars which cost General Lee the element of surprise

4

The Battle of Antietam

• September 17: Union troops attacked Confederate soldiers in 3 phases
• By the end of the day, more than 23,000 soldiers were dead or wounded
• The Battle of Antietam marked the bloodiest single day of the Civil War
• General Lee of the Confederate forces decided to retreat to Virginia and President Lincoln had the victory he needed in order to move forward with the emancipation

5

Emancipation at Last

• September 22, 1862: Lincoln formally announces the Emancipation Proclamation
• The Emancipation Proclamation freed all enslaved people in states still in rebellion after January 1, 1863 BUT it did not apply to loyal border states or to places that were already under Union control
• Lincoln hoped that this would convince southern states to surrender before the January 1st deadline
• Many Northerners responded positively but still some were in disagreement
• Thought that they should be abolished slavery in ALL areas
• Thought this step was too drastic or not drastic enough

6

Emancipation at Last

• The Emancipation did NOT free any slaves; however, it was an important turning point in the war
• Southerners thought they had to fight to the end
• Northerners were convinced the war was about slavery�
• The proclamation encouraged African Americans in the North to join the Union army and fight against slavery�
• Two months before the proclamation was issued, Congress passed the Militia Act which mandated that black soldiers be accepted into the military

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7

African Americans Join the Fight

• After the Proclamation, the Union moved from allowing troops to fight to actively recruiting them
• By the end of the war, 180,000 African American volunteers had served with the Union
• The Governor of Massachusetts supported the formation of an all black 54th Massachusetts Regiment
• The African American soldiers earned respect for their fighting in battles and one soldier received the Congressional Medal of Honor for bravery

8

African Americans Join the Fight

• African Americans were still facing prejudice
• Many times they were given tasks such as: cleaning, cooking, or digging latrines; they were given the �longest guard duties, and placed in exposed battle positions
• It took African Americans 3 years to receive equal �pay
• African Americans also knew that they would face death if captured
• Confederates massacred more than 100 African American soldiers who were trying to surrender during a battle
• Regardless, African Americans continued to support the Union

9

Enslaved People Help the Union Cause

• Enslaved African Americans in the South also played a large part in the war by finding ways to help the Union forces�
• Many times, plantation owners would leave their farms and have their slaves manage the plantations
• Slaves would use the crops on the plantations to supply Union soldiers with food�
• Many slaves used their knowledge of the area to serve as spies or scouts for Union armies�
• Some slaves would go as far as abandon their masters and flee to the North, West, or Union camps

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