Emancipation Of Slaves In The Civil War Essay

In Washington D.C. there stands statue of the 16th President granting freedom to a kneeling slave. Lincoln standing stoic, seems to offer with his sympathetic hand, the gift of emancipation. The slave, squatting beneath him, seems thankful in his reverence. This image helps us to understand how the Civil War and the dissolution of slavery is viewed. Blacks were gifted their freedom from considerate whites. In history, the journey toward freedom by the valiant slave on his or her own accord is often overshadowed by the Yankee soldier or politician. The role of the slave in the road toward emancipation is less recognized and generally misunderstood. While it is accepted that emancipation was a military measure taken to weaken the South, details shrouding the final decision can be cloudy. Ultimately, the failure of the Union’s Peninsula Campaign and the use of slaves in support of war lead the North to adopt a strategy of emancipation.
The emancipation of slaves was not the initial war goal set by the President. It was to be neither a natural nor inevitable result of the war. Instead, the possess of freeing the slaves was guided by a long arduous, and
The debate of slaves as “contraband” culminated with the passage of the First Confiscation Act. The First Confiscation Act legally allowed seizure of the slaves within the United States. It was a war measure that was only in effect where the army traveled. Furthermore, the slaves had to be owned by those who were actively participating in the rebellion. Union Generals however, had inconsistent reactions toward the new law. In Missouri, for example, General Frémont declared all slaves under his jurisdiction free. Frémont’s plan thwarted by President Lincoln, who told the ambitious general he did not have the authority to do so. Nevertheless, the First Confiscation Act was a large step toward full