The Civil War: Changing Roles of African Americans and Women
Lopez, Robert Gillis-Smith, Beth
English M01A
The Civil War: Changing Roles Of African Americans And Women
There were several events that lead to the American Civil War. The Northern states wanted African Americans to be free from slavery, while the Southern states wanted to continue owning them. The Northern states didn’t need slaves for their economy to thrive, as opposed to the Southern states, where their economy relied heavily on the slave’s free labor. Both sides also argued on whether or not the newly acquired states should be free states or slave states, but since the North’s population growth exceeded the South’s, they had more power in the government. The Northern sates had most of the electoral votes and that allowed them to decide who would win the election of 1860.
The election of 1860, the year Abraham Lincoln was elected president of America. Abraham Lincoln strongly supported abolition. His views went against the Southerner’s beliefs. Once he was elected into office, the Southern states drew the line. A month after he won the election, the Southern states started seceding. That was the final step towards starting the war. There were now two sides, the Northern Union states, and the Southern Confederate states. April 12, 1861, the Confederate army attacked fort Sumter, marking the beginning of the American Civil War.
The American Civil War changed the lives of many. After the war nothing could go back to being the same. The group of people who felt the changes most were African Americans and women. Their roles in American society changed during the war and after. The idea of women being fragile, weak, and dependent of a husband had vanished. Women took up their husband’s responsibilities and helped the wounded men that were at war. Some women went to the extreme and disguised themselves as men and actually fought in the war. They were viewed with a new sense of respect. Women proved that they could be strong and independent, that they
English M01A
The Civil War: Changing Roles Of African Americans And Women
There were several events that lead to the American Civil War. The Northern states wanted African Americans to be free from slavery, while the Southern states wanted to continue owning them. The Northern states didn’t need slaves for their economy to thrive, as opposed to the Southern states, where their economy relied heavily on the slave’s free labor. Both sides also argued on whether or not the newly acquired states should be free states or slave states, but since the North’s population growth exceeded the South’s, they had more power in the government. The Northern sates had most of the electoral votes and that allowed them to decide who would win the election of 1860.
The election of 1860, the year Abraham Lincoln was elected president of America. Abraham Lincoln strongly supported abolition. His views went against the Southerner’s beliefs. Once he was elected into office, the Southern states drew the line. A month after he won the election, the Southern states started seceding. That was the final step towards starting the war. There were now two sides, the Northern Union states, and the Southern Confederate states. April 12, 1861, the Confederate army attacked fort Sumter, marking the beginning of the American Civil War.
The American Civil War changed the lives of many. After the war nothing could go back to being the same. The group of people who felt the changes most were African Americans and women. Their roles in American society changed during the war and after. The idea of women being fragile, weak, and dependent of a husband had vanished. Women took up their husband’s responsibilities and helped the wounded men that were at war. Some women went to the extreme and disguised themselves as men and actually fought in the war. They were viewed with a new sense of respect. Women proved that they could be strong and independent, that they
Cited: "Civil War, American." Encyclopedia. Issues & Controversies in American History. Facts On File News Services, n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2010. Elizabeth, Mary, and Jean V. Women In The Civil War. University Of Nebraska Press. 1994 Print. "General Hunter Writes about His Black Troops (primary document)." Issues & Controversies in American History. Facts On File News Services, n.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2010. Kauffman, Jill. "Black Troops in the Civil War." Issues & Controversies in American History. Facts On File News Services, 11 June 2008. Web. 8 Dec. 2010. "Slave Resistance during the Civil War (sidebar)." Issues & Controversies in American History. Facts On File News Services, 28 Nov. 2006. Web. 8 Dec. 2010. Wayne, Tiffany K. "Women during the Civil War." Daily Life through History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 29 Nov. 2010. "Women In The Civil War." American Civil War Reference Library