blacks in civil war Essay - 1355 Words

Slavery was abolished in this country over a hundred years ago but the consequences of this dark page in Americas history are felt even today. This site was created to address those consequences, the political, social and cultural life of todays and yesterdays African Americans. What affect did the Civil War have on African Americans in the United States? Were they, as some argued, better off before the Civil War, or do the advances that blacks have made since then proved that the Civil War was indeed the turning point in the lives and opportunities of African Americans? These questions and more will be addressed in the following pagesWhen slaves were purchased off the ships from Africa, they ended up on plantations. The size and†¦show more content†¦Most slave owners agreed that ideally slave unions should be among the slaves on the same plantation and that marriage should be a way of breeding and promoting morality. The master would most often officiate at the wedding. The y were then sent off to their quarters for a couple hours alone together. It was not unusual, and indeed expected, for slave women to have a child every year. Indeed it was not unheard of for slave women to have 25 children in the span of their lives, usually beginning to give birth at 12 or 13 years of age. These children rarely lived with their parents past the age of eight or nine. At this time they were either sold to another plantation or moved into the womens or mens quarters. Some states had laws forbidding taking children nine or under from their mothers, but this law was often ignored and rarely enforced. All in all, the lack of recognized marriage ties and the constant separation of families through sale, made the slave family a temporary and fly-by-night affair, destined for broken hearts and the auction block. Scholars generally agree that although slaves were considered something less than human, they were valuable property and thus often lived better than free families. The average slave quarters housed 5.3 persons and consisted of dirt floors, boarded windows, and were usually made of logs. Adult males clothing consisted of four shirts,Show MoreRelatedBlack Soldiers in the Civil War964 Words   |  4 PagesEqual Rights: Black Soldiers in the Civil War Historical Background Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letter, U.S., let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder and bullets in his pocket, there is no power on earth that can deny that he has earned the right to citizenship. Ââ€"Frederick Douglass The issues of emancipation and military service were intertwined from the onset of the Civil War. News from Fort Sumter set off a rush by free black men to enlistRead MoreBlack Men And The Civil War927 Words   |  4 Pagesbadly and have absolutely no say in the government, they aren’t even considered a citizen, Even freed â€Å"Black men† have very little rights, another fine example why things in history makes no sense is that women were treated as second class citizen but then during Jefferson’s time women were one of the most important roles in the white house. Abraham freed slaves also makes no sense during the civil war period he said that slaves under his control were freed but the north didn’t support slaves and theRead MoreThe Black Codes And The Civil War1461 Words   |  6 PagesWith the Union victory in the Civil War in 1865, millions of slaves were given their freedom. Although these millions of slaves are now free, the rebuilding on the Sou th during the Reconstruction introduced many obstacles. 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During the Jim Crow Era, segregationists feared that reconstruction would mess with the inherent order of their society by making Black men equal to White men and beneath themRead MoreBlack Americans During The Civil War1732 Words   |  7 Pages Between the years 1900 and 1919, Black Americans were able to see very few but significant changes in terms of the social, political and economic condition. In December 1865, eight months after the Civil War ended, the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution was adopted: slavery was abolished. However, in the late 19th century and early 20th century, the majority of white Americans continued to strongly believe in ‘racist theories of black biological inferiority’ and therefore were able to justifyRead More Positions of Blacks in the Civil War and Emancipation Essay1640 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letters, U.S., let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder and bullets in his pockets, and there is no power on earth which can deny that he has earned the right to citizenship in the United States. The quote mentioned above was proclaimed by African American abolitionist Frederick Douglass, and served as motivation for African Americans to enlist in the Union’s Army efforts and take an initiative in their future. WithRead More Freed Blacks rights after the Civil War Essay544 Words   |  3 PagesFreed Blacks rights after the Civil War During the year of 1865, after the North’s victory in the Civil War, the Republican Party began to pass national legislation in order to secure free blacks’ rights. Through the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments to the constitution, the republicans tried to protect and establish black freedoms. At the same time southern state legislators were passing laws to restrict free blacks’ freedoms. Through the use of black codes and vagrancy laws, the south attemptedRead MoreBlack And White Lives : Reshaping And Reordering After The Civil War Essay1308 Words   |  6 PagesBlack and white lives required reshaping and reordering after the Civil War. The problems caused by the Civil War left white and black people in a social void where political and social identities would need to be redefined. The Federal Government was not capable of defining or implementing policies that would aide in the resocialization of elite whites, poor whites, and freed blacks. The Civil War caused shock, trauma and uncertainty. Ex-slaves had to define who they were in relationship to each