Blacks In The Civil War
...Douglas wrote with passion and persuaded African Americans to join the fight against the oppressive south. Of the many men who heard and followed Douglas' call were his two sons. Both Charles and Lewis Douglas volunteered in the 54th Massachusetts Negro regimen. Charles became the 1st sergeant in the 5th Massachusetts cavalry. I cannot think of a greater sacrifice or proof of passion than allowing his two sons to enlist. This gesture showed that he believed greatly in the ideals behind the war for African American's freedom.
There were many reasons behind the civil war. Many speculate that the war began over the newly acquired territories in the west. The Mexican American war of 1846 resulted in a land and power struggle between the north and south. Although this dispute was about land and power it was also about slavery. According to Keith Dickson, "Northerners and southerners disagreed over the future organization of the newly acquired territory into states. The southerners desired and expected to be able to bring slaves into the new territory. Slavery was protected by the 5th Amendment in the Constitution at the time under protected property." (p.137)
With President Abraham Lincoln's introduction of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Civil War became a war to save the union and to abolish slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation was written in 1863 and was believed by many at the time to be the end of slavery. Many believe that the civil war began because of the north's push to end slavery, and the south resistance to free their slaves. The country was divided into the north "Union" and the south "Confederates". Many African American's fought in the civil war for a chance to live a free life. The civil war also brought an opportunity for African Americans to prove they were worthy of citizenship.
The issues of...
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