The American Civil War

During the 19th century United States Civil War began at 1861-1865 and the Reconstruction era also began 1865-1877 tested and defined American Nationality. The revolutionary declared of Liberty and Equality, American National Identity was tainted and haunted by the question of slavery and racial prejudice. The Reconstruction Amendments reflected that the federal efforts to enforce Constitutional rights and legal equality for African-Americans. The amendments remained, though legal equality faded with the reassertion of "states rights" and white supremacy in southern states after 1877.

This is where we learn about Abraham Lincoln who was elected in 1860 and fears of anti-slavery gains. Lincoln's speech was to free slaves from slavery. He wrote the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, and ended slavery in areas in rebellion against the United States Lincoln speech of the first inaugural address was that Lincoln rejected their action, putting forward legal, geographic, historical, and emotional reasons for the indivisibility of the United States, and making the case that, despite their differences, American were truly one nation.

Frederick Douglass (1817-1895) himself an escaped slave, who became a leading abolitionist speaker; his life and accomplishments provided daily proof that blacks' were fully capable of participating as equals in American Society. In 1841, a meeting with the Massachusetts Anti-slavery Society, Douglass told what freedom meant to him. The society was so impressed with his speech that it hired him to lecture about his experiences as a slave. During the American Civil War Douglass helped recruited African-Americans for the Union Army. He discussed the problems of slavery with President Lincoln several times.

Frederick Douglass of New York saw the Civil War as a road to emancipation (which means freedom) for the slaves. Most of the Northerners even though they may have opposed slavery were convinced of black inferiority. Skillful leadership was needed as the county moved toward black freedom. Lincoln supplied that leadership by combining a clear sense of purpose with a sensitively to the concerns of various gains.

In my opinion, I agreed that both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass were trying to prove their point about slavery and freedom for the blacks. Lincoln was very upset about what was going on in the south. How the owner was abusing their slaves' and told them there was no future or freedom for them. Frederick Douglass was an escaped slave and he was very upset how the slaves' master was treating their slaves. When the Civil War began, Douglass campaigned without success for black enlistment. After issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation (1863) paved the way for military service for blacks, Douglass became a recruiter for black units. Now I understand why we have Black History Months for the Honor of all Blacks American who been though it all and fought for our rights and lives.