Creative Non Fiction

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Jeguiris Burgos

Professor Hugo Walter

ENG3316

19 February 2020

American Civil War

American Civil War was a battle between the Northern and Southern United States,

which occurred between 1861 and 1865 (Adams). The war was triggered by the persistent

disagreement over the enslavement of African people. The southerners, who practiced large-

scale farming, were in support of slavery owing to their high demand for slave labor. The

Northern people, on the other hand, were against the enslavement of the blacks because they

were not dependent on slave labor. Considering that the Northerners' economy was industry-

based, slave labor was not a necessity. This difference in the need for slave labor between the

northern and southern states created a long-standing controversy, which, in turn, led to the

American Civil War.

After winning the 1860 presidential elections, Abraham Lincoln, who led the

Republicans, showed great support for the abolition of slavery in all states within the US

(Keegan). The southerners considered this as an infringement of their rights and an initial step to

ultimately ban slavery. As such, the southern states decided to secede from the Union just before

Lincoln's inauguration and instead form the confederacy. The secession began with seven slave

states comprising Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, Texas and Mississippi which kept the

highest proportion of slaves. Other remaining southern states continued to discard the calls for

When you quote directly from a source please be sure to put quotation marks around the quoted passage.

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withdrawal since they had viewed it as illegal. In an effort to calm the fear that southern states

had in regard to the abolition of slavery, Lincoln reaffirmed in his inaugural address that he had

no intention to obstruct the institution of slavery.

In the same year of presidential elections, four more southern states withdrew from the

Union to join the confederacy. The continual session by the southern states triggered the issuance

of the emancipation proclamation, which stated that all slaves held in the southern states will be

freed by January 1863 (Hummel). However, the president did not free all the enslaved blacks in

the US because the declaration was only targeting those who were within the confederacy. The

document did not apply to those states that had maintained their loyalty to the Union. Although it

was offered as a military decree, the emancipation proclamation indicated a significant shift in

Lincoln's opinion on slavery. In particular, the declaration redefined the Civil War by turning it

into a fight that was intended to end slavery.

Based on Lincoln's view, slavery was immoral; hence, it was supposed to be abolished.

However, Lincoln did not realize that the constitution had afforded the government the right to

ban slavery in some regions. He, instead, thought that the constitution had prevented its

expansion to western territories that would have ultimately became states. Therefore, Lincoln

insisted that the fight is not about freeing the enslaved blacks within the southern states, but

maintaining the Union. Following the secession, four slave states which stayed in the Union

included, but not limited to, Maryland, Missouri, Delaware, and Kentucky. After noticing the

efforts made by the southern states, one of the generals named John C. Fremont declared that the

states that rejected secession would have their possessions and slaves seized and freed

When you quote from a source in your essay please be sure to put the quoted passage in quotation marks and cite the source.

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respectively. However, Lincoln ordered him to reverse the policy and later demoted him from the

command position.

Nonetheless, many enslaved people were fleeing to the southern states controlled by the

Union such as Virginia, where General Butler had declared them as "contraband"; this

contravened the Fugitive Slave Law authorizing their return to their holders (Adams). He argued

that setting the southern slaves free would support the Union's victory notwithstanding the

importance of slave labor among the southern states. In 1862, the congress approved the Militia

Act, which permitted the previously enslaved Africans to be recruited in the military as laborers.

Also, the act authorized that slaves held in southern states would be set free. Lincoln also aimed

to encourage the slaveholders to release their slaves by promising them some compensation.

However, when other abolitionists condemned him for not bringing forth a stronger liberation

policy, Lincoln replied that his main goal was to save the Union and not the slaves' freedom.

However, conflicts began in 1861 when the confederate state's forces attacked the Fort

Sumter by claiming that it belonged to them (Hummel). This attack prompted the intervention of

the militia who aided in the suppression of the southern rebellion. This move forced most of the

states, such as the Virginia, Arkansas, and Tennessee, to reverse themselves and instead support

the secession. Actions in the battle were divided into the eastern and northern theaters. The

eastern theaters consisted of the states, such as North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. The

northern theaters, on the other hand, comprised Florida and Georgia. The first inland war began

when 3,000 Union volunteers attacked 800 confederates in Virginia. Owing to their vast number,

the unionist won the battle, which contributed to the elevation of General George's reputation.

However, in 1892, the war between the north and south escalated and led to significant loss of

Do you mean 1862? The Civil War had ended before 1892.

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more human lives. Towards the end of 1892, more invasions into the United States transpired

and enabled the Union to expand its territory. Still, in the subsequent months, more battles fought

led to further destruction of the south and a significant victory to the Union.

On September 1892, Lincoln made the proclamation, which required the confederates to

join the Union before 1963 (Hummel). Lincoln had been advised by his secretary that he had to

wait for the Union's victory before announcing the emancipation. After making the

announcement, Lincoln signed the proclamation, which comprised the gradual liberation,

slaveholders' compensation, and colonization. He justified the freedom as a wartime measure and

was keen to use it in the confederate state that rebelled the Union. Lincoln's proclamation was

targeting territories outside his governance. Considering that his primary focus was on

preserving the Union, the emancipation did not cause many effects on the slaves' freedom.

Essentially, Lincoln's decree led to the more states rejoining the Union. However, it had a

tremendous symbolic power since it aided the liberation of enslaved blacks, which was one of

the goals for the Northern state war. Besides, emancipation proclamation had practical impacts

as evident in the states which had previously supported the confederacy but backed off owing to

their unwavering opposition to slavery. Based on the provisions of the slave act, African

Americans were required to serve in the military after being freed. They were supposed to work

as laborers in the military for over four years before being granted their freedom. Besides the

liberation, the proclamation fostered the complete abolition of slavery in the U.S. Generally, the

success in the ban of slavery resulted from the Union's victory in the Civil War.

When you quote from a source please be sure to put the quoted passage in quotation marks and cite the source.Please check these dates.

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Works Cited

Adams, Ephraim Douglass. Great Britain and the American Civil War. Good Press, 2020.

Hummel, Jeffrey. Emancipating slaves, enslaving free men: a history of the American civil war.

Open court, 2013.

Keegan, John. The American Civil War. Random House, 2011.