The Civil War – The Black Experience of the American Civil War
HOW WERE THE LIVES OF AMERICANS AFFECTED BY SLAVERY BEFORE 1861?
1. Enslaved Black Americans:
• In 1860, 3.5 million Black people were enslaved in the USA, mainly in the South.
• Enslaved people were considered property and controlled by strict ‘’ limiting their freedoms.
• In the 25% of Southern homes with enslaved labour, they did all the work – men in the fields and skilled trades (blacksmithing, carpentry), women doing domestic work (cooking, cleaning, sewing, and child care).
• Enslaved people had no legal rights and could face punishment, violence, or at their owner’s will.
• Poor living conditions, harsh labour, and disease led to high mortality rates, especially for children.
2. Free Blacks in the South:
• There were about 400,000 Free Black people in the South by 1861.
• Although they faced discrimination they offered to fight for the South.
3. Southern Society and Economy:
• Most Southerners (75%) did not own enslaved people; the powerful ‘’ owned the majority.
• Enslaved labour generated major wealth through cash crops, particularly cotton, forming a core part of the Southern and US economies.
• Slavery reinforced white society and in the South, deeply shaping its identity.
4. Political Conflict Over Slavery:
• The abolition movement in the North created sectional tensions; Southern states saw threats to slavery as an attack on their economy and way of life.
• In 1861, Abraham Lincoln’s election prompted Southern states to secede, leading to the Civil War.
BLACK AMERICANS DURING THE WAR
1. ‘Contrabands’ (Escaped or Abandoned Enslaved People):
• Roughly one in enslaved people fled to the Union Army, and declared ‘’.
• They were confined to camps with high mortality rates, and made to perform non-fighting tasks for the Union Army, often unpaid or poorly treated.
• In Virginia, which still allowed slavery, one group of contrabands was even sold back into slavery.
2. Emancipated Black People:
• In Union-occupied areas, freed Black people were made to sign a one-year contract as low-paid labourers.
• In 1865, Congress created the Freedmen’s Bureau, enabling freedmen to lease 40 acres of land. However, more land went to Union speculators, and former Confederates reclaimed it during Reconstruction.
3. USCT ():
• In 1862, the first Black regiment, the South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, was formed.
• By 1863, Black men could enlist (180,000 did), but with lower pay, limited duties, and segregated units.
• Captured Black Union soldiers were not taken prisoner but were executed as runaways.
4. Confederate Army and Black Labor:
• The Confederate Army used Black people in non-fighting roles. A proposal to enlist Black soldiers was approved a fortnight before the war ended, too late for action.
5. Civil Rights Progress:
• In 1864, the Senate passed an anti-slavery Act, leading to the 13th Amendment in 1865.
• The 14th Amendment granted citizenship and legal protections, and the 15th Amendment allowed Black men to vote.
• Segregation on public transport was abolished in the North, and ‘Black laws’ were removed in many states.
• In 1865, Boston lawyer acted before the Supreme Court.
6. Ongoing Racism in the North:
• Northern attitudes remained discriminatory, seen in the violent New York Draft Riots of 1863.
• Black Americans faced restrictions on where they could live and often took lower-paying jobs.
BLACK AMERICANS AFTER RECONSTRUCTION
1. Historiography of Reconstruction:
• Early ‘’ historians saw Reconstruction as a Northern atrocity upon the South.
• Revisionist historians after the 1960s highlighted the political significance of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments.
• Modern historians view Reconstruction as a well-meaning but failed experiment in equality.
2. Equality:
• Southern states passed Jim Crow laws to enforce segregation and limit Black rights.
3. Rights:
• The Supreme Court weakened Black civil rights with cases like United States v. (1876) and Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).
4. Land Ownership:
• Reconstruction did not give land to Black Americans, forcing them into , often with former slaveholders.
• However, because they could apply for land under the Homestead Act, some moved west as ‘Exodusters’, others as cowboys’
5. Education:
• Federal support for Black education ended in 1870.
• However, southern states did establish (segregated and underfunded) public schools, and gradually declined, building Black Americans’ aspirations.
6. Freedom Limitations:
• Southern states imposed measures like poll taxes and literacy tests, effectively denying Black Americans the right to vote.
• However, freed Black Americans were now able to form families and build churches, establishing a foundation for Black identity and civil rights.
7. Terror:
• The withdrawal of federal troops in 1877 left Black Americans vulnerable to groups like the Ku Klux Klan, which terrorized communities for decades.
• The political illustrator Thomas Nast regarded Black Americans’ situation post-1977 as “Worse than Slavery”.
HOW WERE THE LIVES OF AMERICANS AFFECTED BY SLAVERY BEFORE 1861?
1. Enslaved Black Americans:
• In 1860, 3.5 million Black people were enslaved in the USA, mainly in the South.
• Enslaved people were considered property and controlled by strict ‘SLAVE CODES’ limiting their freedoms.
• In the 25% of Southern homes with enslaved labour, they did all the work – men in the fields and skilled trades (blacksmithing, carpentry), women doing domestic work (cooking, cleaning, sewing, and child care).
• Enslaved people had no legal rights and could face punishment, violence, or SALE at their owner’s will.
• Poor living conditions, harsh labour, and disease led to high mortality rates, especially for children.
2. Free Blacks in the South:
• There were about 400,000 Free Black people in the South by 1861.
• Although they faced discrimination they offered to fight for the South.
3. Southern Society and Economy:
• Most Southerners (75%) did not own enslaved people; the powerful ‘SLAVOCRACY’ owned the majority.
• Enslaved labour generated major wealth through cash crops, particularly cotton, forming a core part of the Southern and US economies.
• Slavery reinforced white society and SUPREMACY in the South, deeply shaping its identity.
4. Political Conflict Over Slavery:
• The abolition movement in the North created sectional tensions; Southern states saw threats to slavery as an attack on their economy and way of life.
• In 1861, Abraham Lincoln’s election prompted Southern states to secede, leading to the Civil War.
BLACK AMERICANS DURING THE WAR
1. ‘Contrabands’ (Escaped or Abandoned Enslaved People):
• Roughly one in SEVEN enslaved people fled to the Union Army, and declared ‘CONTRABANDS’.
• They were confined to camps with high mortality rates, and made to perform non-fighting tasks for the Union Army, often unpaid or poorly treated.
• In Virginia, which still allowed slavery, one group of contrabands was even sold back into slavery.
2. Emancipated Black People:
• In Union-occupied areas, freed Black people were made to sign a one-year contract as low-paid labourers.
• In 1865, Congress created the Freedmen’s Bureau, enabling freedmen to lease 40 acres of land. However, more land went to Union speculators, and former Confederates reclaimed it during Reconstruction.
3. USCT (UNITED STATES COLORED TROOPS):
• In 1862, the first Black regiment, the South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, was formed.
• By 1863, Black men could enlist (180,000 did), but with lower pay, limited duties, and segregated units.
• Captured Black Union soldiers were not taken prisoner but were executed as runaways.
4. Confederate Army and Black Labor:
• The Confederate Army used Black people in non-fighting roles. A proposal to enlist Black soldiers was approved a fortnight before the war ended, too late for action.
5. Civil Rights Progress:
• In 1864, the Senate passed an anti-slavery Act, leading to the 13th Amendment in 1865.
• The 14th Amendment granted citizenship and legal protections, and the 15th Amendment allowed Black men to vote.
• Segregation on public transport was abolished in the North, and ‘Black laws’ were removed in many states.
• In 1865, Boston lawyer JOHN ROCK acted before the Supreme Court.
6. Ongoing Racism in the North:
• Northern attitudes remained discriminatory, seen in the violent New York Draft Riots of 1863.
• Black Americans faced restrictions on where they could live and often took lower-paying jobs.
BLACK AMERICANS AFTER RECONSTRUCTION
1. Historiography of Reconstruction:
• Early ‘DUNNINGITE’ historians saw Reconstruction as a Northern atrocity upon the South.
• Revisionist historians after the 1960s highlighted the political significance of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments.
• Modern historians view Reconstruction as a well-meaning but failed experiment in equality.
2. Equality:
• Southern states passed Jim Crow laws to enforce segregation and limit Black rights.
3. Rights:
• The Supreme Court weakened Black civil rights with cases like United States v. CRUIKSHANK (1876) and Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).
4. Land Ownership:
• Reconstruction did not give land to Black Americans, forcing them into SHARECROPPING, often with former slaveholders.
• However, because they could apply for land under the Homestead Act, some moved west as ‘Exodusters’, others as cowboys’
5. Education:
• Federal support for Black education ended in 1870.
• However, southern states did establish (segregated and underfunded) public schools, and ILLITERACY gradually declined, building Black Americans’ aspirations.
6. Freedom Limitations:
• Southern states imposed measures like poll taxes and literacy tests, effectively denying Black Americans the right to vote.
• However, freed Black Americans were now able to form families and build churches, establishing a foundation for Black identity and civil rights.
7. Terror:
• The withdrawal of federal troops in 1877 left Black Americans vulnerable to groups like the Ku Klux Klan, which terrorized communities for decades.
• The political illustrator Thomas Nast regarded Black Americans’ situation post-1977 as “Worse than Slavery”.
