Africans, Abolitionists, and Civil War1

African Americans, Abolitionists, and the Civil War

Caliech Jones

History 41-Section 1022

Professor Thurman Robinson

African American, Abolitionists, and the Civil War

Africans, Abolitionists, and Civil War2

One may asked the question of how the African Americans played an important role in one
of the longest wars of our time the Civil War. It was through their acts of bravery, passion and
quest for freedom which allowed us so called African Americans to stand up for our rights today.
There were many African American people were always ready for a fight when it came to their
freedom. The black man was true to his word and stood up and died for freedom, justice, and
equality for all black people. Some white abolitionists were in agreeance with some African
American for they knew what it meant to be treated so malevolently. The black man have fought
in the white mans revolutionary war on the sidelines as their servers, fireman, cooks, medics, etc.,
but were not listed officially and recognized for their service due to the law of 1792 segregating
blacks from serving in the US military. Fortunately, a black abolitionists leader by the name of
Frederick Douglass was never scared to stand up for righteousness and justice for black people.
He also encouraged and urged the African American people to pick up the cause and fight for
freedom.
African Americans have lost a lot of lives, unfulfilled promises, and broken families and
amongst the turmoil was still ready willing to fight in whiteys war. In 1862, the US Congress
passed two Acts to enlist African American in the US army. Why? Because they were beginning to
notice the majority of their personnel, which were only white men dying in large numbers.
Unfortunately, those great losses resulted in the realization, that without the help of the African
American, they would have lost the war. After three years of a brutal war, on January 1, 1863 the
President of the North named Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation stating
that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free.
This announcement encouraged the acceptance for African American men to be enlisted in the US
Army and the Navy. Abraham Lincoln made a conscious effort to provide some type balance to

Africans, Abolitionists, and Civil War3

the people but mostly for the union. I understand that Lincolns intentions were not for the
abolishment of slavery and freedom for black people but for the preservation of the union. The
Emancipation Proclamation confirmed their insistence that the war for the Union must become a
war for freedom. It added moral force to the Union cause and strengthened the Union both
militarily and politically The African Americans have built this country with their sweat, blood,
and tears. That sparked a new day for the black man because he had a chance to be free from
slavery and get a paying job for serving his country. The African men and women felt the same as
Patrick Henry in his book Give Me Liberty Or Death. Our constitution is the Supreme contract
of the land and is our nations guiding principles and when the government acts against the people
they have a right to rebel. In the constitution stated that Armed revolt against such a government
is therefore not an attack on the constitution but an attempt to protect it. So, the chief error made
by the inconsistency claim is to assume that government and constitution are the same thing, so
that a revolt against one is necessarily a revolt against the other.
Theyre many wars past and present fought over money, freedom, and overall power and the
black man has always been there standing the test of time. The blacks in American have suffered
over 250 years of slavery so the moment they was given a chance to a piece of freedom they took
it. The cost for freedom came at a high price and was not given so freely to blacks especially black
men. The Emancipation Proclamation was the birth of a nation on the road freedom from slavery,
a chance to liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
I was startled that Lincoln felt starting a colonization project for black people to Central
America was the best decision for a race of people who have suffered racism in America. My first
thought on this was a great idea until I realized why, will black people leave the land they were
already indigenous to. And why would we as African people go to land foreign to us, to be called
and treated something else. The black people would never leave the nation they were born to, and

Africans, Abolitionists, and Civil War4

had seen so many die for freedom in America. It was an insult to the black people to ask them to
enlist themselves to place unknown to them. Lincoln was accused of hypocrisy and claimed that
the support for colonization will have all white men commit all kinds of violence and outrage
upon the colored people. Interestingly to know how Fredrick Douglass knew a movement like
that would have caused serious detriment to the blacks who not free in some states. If this bill had
passed and was enacted on where would our nation be today? By the end of the civil war over
200,000 black men enlisted, fought and served in the US Army and US Navy. I couldnt imagine
my ancestors and the black people succumb to a bill like the exodus to being dispersed to Central
America for the Unions sake. I feel on the scales of justice there only one way to get liberty and
equality is through balance. Lincolns intentions were a form of balance in my eyes for the state of
the Union, and for the state of the African Americans freedom. I grew up thinking that Abraham
Lincoln freed the slaves and liked black people. Until, you become informed that only freed the
slaves to save the Union. If Lincoln could have saved the Union without freeing the slaves he
would have done that as well. Consequently, he has been the face for black peoples freedom.
Lincoln must have done something very right for one people and something very wrong to
another. Is that why they face his face on a penny and turned his face opposite of those Presidents
on silver coins? Our black people are the strongest, most courageous people in the world and
honored to be blessed with the blood from the creator of everything.

References
Kent, D. (1994). The American Revolution: "Give me liberty, or give me death" Hillside, NJ:
Enslow.
Featured Document: The Emancipation Proclamation. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2016, from
https://archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/emancipation_proclamation/

Africans, Abolitionists, and Civil War5

BlackCivilWarSoldiersAmericanCivilWarhistory.com.(n.d.).RetrievedOctober24,
2016,fromhttp://www.history.com/topics/americancivilwar/blackcivilwarsoldiers