Impact Of Civil War On North And South - Free Essay Example

From April 12, 1861 to May 9, 1865, the civil war had a lasting impact on the North and the South and their individual attitudes towards slavery. This idea is evident in a series of letters that were gathered from that period. The first letter was written by James Henry Gooding, a Massachusetts Black Corporal on September 28, 1863. Earlier in the month, a Union force was defeated in the Battle of Chickamauga. The second letter was written by an unnamed New York Black Soldier in August 1864. During that month, the Battle of Mobile Bay and the Battle of Jonesborough had occurred, both of which were victories for the North. The third and final letter was written by James C. Beecher, Commander of a North Carolina Black Regiment on September 13th, 1863. During this time, the Union Army of Potomac crossed the Rappahannock River and shortly after, the Battle of Culpeper Court House occurred. Although the union had fought the Confederacy and had considered slavery to be a moral wrong, they still displayed similar attitudes to their adversaries, even reducing African American servicemens positions to statuses similar to laborers and slaves instead of soldiers. James Henry Gooding had turned to writing a letter to President Abraham Lincoln after the absence of equal pay became prevalent to him and other black soldiers. In his letter, Gooding asked an important question, Are we Soldiers, or are we LABOURERS? (Gooding, 1863). Gooding argued that Black soldiers should not be underpaid, for they performed the same work and accomplished the same duties that white soldiers did. He continued his letter, further explaining the prejudice of the situation, When the arms of the Union, were beaten again the black man begged, the privelege of Aiding his Country in her need, to be again refused, And now, he is in the War: and how has he conducted himself?Let their dusky forms, rise up, out the mires of James Island, and give the answer. We have done a Soldiers Duty. Why cant we have a Soldiers pay? (ibid). Gooding explained how black soldiers proved whites wrong, yet they still had not been recognized as worthy of equal pay. They had accomplished their duties like everyone else, but they were not adequately recognized for their participation. You caution the Rebel Chieftain, that the United States, knows, no distinction, in her Soldiers: She insists on having all her Soldiers, of whatever, creed or Color, to be treated, according to the usages of War. Now if the United States exacts uniformity of treatment of her Soldiers, from the Insurgents, would it not be well, and consistent, to set the example herself, by paying all her Soldiers alike?(ibid). Gooding pointed out that the union had not stood by what they had claimed to believe in. After all, one of the reasons why the civil war began was because of differences in views on slavery and whether or not it should be outlawed. An unknown soldier wrote to President Abraham Lincoln to the best of his ability. Instead of the musket It is the spad and the Whelbarrow and the Axe cuting in one of the most horable swamps in Louisiana stinking and misery. (Unknown, 1864). The unknown soldier described the treatment of blacks and the work they were assigned. The jobs that the unknown soldier spoke of were that of slave work. He compared the use of weapons to the physical labor that black regiments performed to show the clear lack of acknowledgement from their white superiors. The unknown soldier then went on to write about the fact that they were underpaid. we All Listed for so much Bounty Clothing and Ration And 13 Dollars A month. And the most has fallen short in all thes Things we havent Recived A cent of Pay Since we Bin in the field. Instead of them Coming to us Like men with our 13 Dollars thay come with only seven Dollars A month. (ibid). The soldier seemed to face the same problem as Gooding however, the u nknown soldier delved into further detail about other basic necessities they were deprived of alongside payment. Hardly have Anough Bread to Keep us From starving six or 8 ounces of it to Do A Soldier 24 hours on Gaurd or eney other Labor and About the Same in Meat and Coffee sum times No meat for 2 Days It is A hard thing to be Keept in such a state of misery Continuly. (ibid). The soldier explained the lack of food to further highlight their wretched situation. They were still expected to fight and perform physical labor after being fed scraps, and they accomplished those things, yet they were still deprived of the three dollars they were meant to be paid. James C. Beecher was a man of leadership. In his days as a commander of a black Regiment, Beecher had seen his fair share of injustices towards blacks. In Folly Island of South Carolina, Beecher wrote to General Edward A. Wild in an attempt to salvage his Regiment, describing the work that his black troops were assigned and how it had affected his troops sick list. In his letter, Beecher stated, It is reported to me on good authority that men of my command ordered to Morris Island on fatigue duty, are put to work laying out and policing camps of white soldiers on that Island Since the commencement of the war I have never before known such duty imposed upon any Regiment. (Beecher, 1863). Beecher pointed out the blatant inequity by mentioning his black soldiers were assigned duties that white soldiers never had to complete. To further prove his point, Beecher added the impact of such work on his black soldiers noting, As you are awareâ€Å"the fatigue duty of my regiment has been ince ssant and tryingâ€Å"so that my sick list has increased from 4 or 5 to nearly 200 in a little over one month.(ibid). Beecher was aware that simply presenting the situation would not be enough to convince Gen. Wild, so he added the increasing numbers of incapable soldiers to persuade Gen. Wild to take notice of his concerns and take action. Towards the end of his letter, Beecher sums up the real issue at hand with his bold word choice writing, when they are set to menial work doing for white regiments what those Regiments are entitled to do for themselves, it simply throws them back where they were before and reduces them to the position of slaves again.(ibid). In conclusion, even though the North had seen themselves to be more advanced than the South because they outlawed slavery, they still treated their black soldiers as slaves and laborers rather than soldiers. The three letters presented showed the hypocrisy of the Union from the perspectives of a White commander of a black regiment, a black soldier, and an unknown black soldier. The common point between all three letters were black regiments and the problems they faced that they felt brought them back to slave status due to unequal pay and the slave-like jobs they were appointed.

The History of Abraham Lincoln - Free Essay Example

Lincoln, the 16th president of the US, is renowned for his role in leading the nation through the Civil War, abolishment of slavery, modernization of the economy and stabilization of the US federal government. This paper aims to provide a brief history of Abraham Lincolns life as well as a comprehensive analytic review of the argument that he is among the most important and prominent leaders in the history of the US. Abe Lincoln was born in Hardin County, Kentucky on 12 February 1809. According to Schwartz and Howard, his family had a low social standing and in fact, they lived in a single room cabin with his parents and two siblings. His family later moved to the state of Indiana in 1816 when he was 7 years. In order to support his family, Lincoln had to work at a young age, helping his father in doing farming chores. This had a significant adverse impact on his education, with historical research suggesting that he went to school for only a single year as a child. Later on in 1830, his family moved again to Macon County in Illinois. He became employed as a hand on a riverboat that was in the business of freight transportation along the Mississippi River (Burlingame). He later settled in New Salem, a town in Illinois, where he worked as a postmaster and a shopkeeper. This is where Lincoln began his political career, supporting the Whig party. He lost his first election race in 1832 when he vied for the Illinois state legislature. However, he later won the election in 1834 and become a prominent fixture of his party for eight consecutive years. Notably, Lincoln was a self-taught lawyer. As aforementioned, his stay in school was short. However, the education he received was sufficient to read and write and during his childhood and early adulthood, his interest in law contributed to his pursuit of a career in the field (Nicolay). In spite of his focus on politics, he continued to study and in 1837, he was admitted to the bar. He moved to Springfield in the same year. In 1842, Lincoln married his wife, Mary Todd. Together, they had four children, all sons, two of whom died at a young age. Later, in 1846, he was elected to the US Congress, at which point he moved to Washington D.C. in order to complete his term. Lincoln, along with other politicians such as Daniel Webster and Henry Clay, strongly opposed slavery and in fact, he attempted without success to abolish slavery in the state (Foner). In 1849, Lincoln decided to resume his law career and devote more time to his family. He went back to Springfield and his career in politics seemed to be at an end. However, when the slavery question began to intensify across the nation in the 1850s, he decided to return to politics, vying unsuccessfully for Senate in 1854 as well as 1856. In spite of the losses, Lincoln gained nationwide recognition for his prowess in public speaking and his view of slavery. In 1860, Lincoln won the Republican nomination for the position of US president. In a particularly fragmented race comprising four candidates, Lincoln won the presidential election with a popularity percentage of less than 40. Fearing that Lincolns presidential power and his views of slavery would result in total abolition of the practice in the nation, some Southern states began to contemplate secession. Seven states, including South Carolina, Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, Texas and Alabama, established an independent nation called the Confederate States of America, which was distinct and independent from the United States. Attempts by President Lincoln to withhold Fort Sumter in South Carolina from the Confederates sparked the American Civil War. To quash the rising rebellion, the president increased military reinforcements. This resulted in further secession of other states, including Virginia. In spite of Lincolns insistence that the Civil War aimed to preserve the union of the United States, the question of slavery was among the major factors influencing the decisions of states to join the confederates. The president took the role of commander-in-chief, and signed several critical legislations into law, including policies regarding US currency, taxation and transport networks. Lincoln developed and implemented the first national income tax and established several structures that defined the federal government of the US, which has remained stable and effective to this day (Burlingame). In 1863, Lincoln made the Emancipation proclamation, which paved the way for the 13th Amendment of the US constitution and the abolition of slavery in the nation. He made several memorable speeches, such as the Second Inaugural and the Gettysburg Address, in recognition of the many men who died in the war (Burlingame). Most historians and researchers consider these the most significant actions of Lincoln as president and in fact, the Gettysburg address is among the famous historical speeches by great leaders. A year later, he vied for presidency again and had sufficient support to be re-elected as president. With the war concluding, President Lincoln began to make reconstruction preparations to assist in unification of the nation once more. A week after surrender of the Confederate, in April 14th 1865, John Wilkes Booth assassinated Lincoln while the president was attending a theater in Washington. Booth managed to escape, but died two days later from gunshot wounds sustained during attempts to capture him. Today, Lincoln is regarded as among the greatest presidents of the nation, with his leadership during the Civil War, his fight against slavery and his eloquent orations being the pinnacle of his legacy. Critical Analysis of Abraham Lincolns Life Abraham Lincoln assumed leadership of the United States during a time of great crisis and in fact, his past life before presidency was pivotal to the success he achieved in his life and the legacy he left behind (Nicolay). His humble beginnings are among the most noticeable aspects of his traits. Born into a poor family, Lincoln had to learn the value of hard work at a young age. Arguably, this contributed to his passion and commitment to his principles as well as his efforts to achieving his objectives as a family man, a lawyer and as the president of the US (Nicolay). According to Schwartz and Schuman, Lincolns effective communication is a factor that contributed significantly to his success as a leader. Especially given that he was self-educated, his ability to communicate effectively through oral and written media was critical to his effectiveness as a leader. Burlingame notes that he had no significant military experience during the Civil War but his ability to give directions, instructions and inspiration was pivotal to the success of the Union. Lincolns moral compass and rhetoric is also a significant factor that defined his leadership. From the beginning of his legal and political career, President Lincoln strongly fought against human slavery in the nation. Johnson is keen to note that Lincoln held the belief that no man had a right to own another human being. The strong ethics of the president are traceable to his family roots, as his parents raised him in line with Christian beliefs and in fact, his father had strong views against bondage. Conclusion Abraham Lincoln played a major role in defining and molding the Unites States into the nation it is today. His powerful ethical principles in the fight against bondage and his leadership in the American civil war were crucial contributions that resulted in the unification of the United States as well as the eradication of slavery in the nation. His rise from humble beginnings to becoming the US president is inspiring. Lincolns gallant act of selflessness in returning to politics in order to contribute to the question of slavery, at a time when he had virtually retired in order to pursue a law career and raise his family, is one that had numerous positive impacts on the nation. In addition, his style of leadership, which was not only effective and charismatic but also compassionate, has been the subject of significant research over the last century. Some scholars have identified several weaknesses Lincolns leadership and decision-making. Most note the fact that he had little military experience, which may have contributed to the significant deaths on both sides of the war, as he lacked the skill to make effective war strategies. Nevertheless, Lincolns efforts of reconciling and healing the nation in the aftermath of the war, as well as his role in ending slavery and bringing the United States together during a time of crisis are factors that make him among the best presidents of the US so far.