History Discussion Questions

How did the Union’s goals in the Civil War change between 1861 and 1865? What accounts for those changes? How did the Confederate government’s policies toward slaves change during the Civil War? When and why did those changes occur?

            How did Abraham Lincoln’s policies and attitudes toward black people change during the Civil War? Does Lincoln deserve credit as “the Great Emancipator”? Why or why not? What did the Emancipation Proclamation seek to achieve? Why was it issued? What did it actually accomplish?

            When the Civil War began, why did northern black men volunteer to serve in the Union army if the war had not yet become a war to end slavery? What did black men and women contribute to the Union war effort? Was it in their best interests to participate in the Civil War? Why or why not?