Lesson 5: Emancipation and Life in Wartime

Question 1

54th Massachusetts Regiment Definition

Answer 1

an African American unit in the Union army

Question 2

Copperheads Definition

Answer 2

a northerner who opposed using force to keep the southern states in the Union

Question 3

Draft Definition

Answer 3

a law that requires people of a certain age to perform military service

Question 4

Emancipate Definition

Answer 4

to set free

Question 5

Emancipation Proclamation Definition

Answer 5

an 1863 declaration by President Lincoln freeing enslaved African Americans in Confederate territory

Question 6

Fort Wagner Definition

Answer 6

a fort in South Carolina that was the site of an attack by the African American 54th Massachusetts Regiment in 1863

Question 7

Habeas Corpus Definition

Answer 7

the right not to be held in prison without first being charged with a specific crime

Question 8

Income Tax Definition

Answer 8

a tax on people’s earnings

Question 9

Inflation Definition

Answer 9

a rise in prices and a decrease in the value of money

Question 10

Profiteer Definition

Answer 10

a person who takes advantage of a crisis to make money

Question 11

William Carney Definition

Answer 11

the first African American soldier to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service in the Civil War

Question 12

What was the Civil War originally about? How did one of Lincoln’s letters support this?

Answer 12

The Civil War began as a war to restore the Union, not to end slavery. President Lincoln made this point clear in a letter that was widely distributed.

“If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I could do it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that.”

—Abraham Lincoln, August 22, 1862, quoted in Carl Sandburg’s Abraham Lincoln

Question 13

Why was Lincoln handling the issue of slavery cautiously?

Answer 13

Lincoln had a reason for handling the slavery issue cautiously. As you have read, four slave states remained in the Union. The President did not want to do anything that might cause these states to shift their loyalty to the Confederacy. The resources of the border states might allow the South to turn the tide of the war.

Question 14

In mid-1862, what did Lincoln do to broaden the goals of the war in hopes of saving the Union?

Answer 14

By mid-1862, however, Lincoln came to believe that he could save the Union only by broadening the goals of the war. He decided to emancipate, or free, enslaved African Americans then living in Confederate territory. In the four loyal slave states, however, enslaved African Americans would not be freed. Nor would African Americans be freed in Confederate lands that had already been captured by the Union, such as the city of New Orleans, Tennessee, or parts of Virginia.

Question 15

What were some practical reasons for Lincoln’s emancipation plan? Why was he cautious about it when it came to the border states and the North? What was the other reason of why Lincoln wanted to go through with his emancipation plan? What did Lincoln do about the timing of the plan?

Answer 15

Lincoln had practical reasons for his emancipation plan. At the start of the Civil War, more than 3 million enslaved African Americans labored for the Confederacy. They helped grow the food that fed Confederate soldiers. They also worked in iron and lead mines that were vital to the South’s war effort. Some served as nurses and cooks for the army. Lincoln knew that emancipation would weaken the Confederacy’s ability to carry on the war. However, Lincoln did not want to anger slave owners in the Union. Also, he knew that many northerners opposed freedom for enslaved African Americans. Lincoln hoped to introduce the idea of emancipation slowly, by limiting it to territory controlled by the Confederacy. The President had another motive. Lincoln believed that slavery was wrong. When he felt that he could act to free enslaved African Americans without threatening the Union, he did so. Lincoln was concerned about the timing of his announcement. The war was not going well for the Union. He did not want Americans to think he was freeing enslaved African Americans as a desperate effort to save a losing cause. He waited for a victory to announce his plan. On September 22, 1862, following the Union victory at Antietam, Lincoln announced a preliminary proclamation. He issued the formal Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863.

Question 16

What were the reactions to the Emancipation Proclamation?

Answer 16

Because the rebelling states were not under Union control, no African Americans actually gained their freedom on January 1, 1863. Still, the Emancipation Proclamation changed the purpose of the war. Now, Union troops were fighting to end slavery as well as to save the Union. The opponents of slavery greeted the proclamation with joy. In Boston, African American abolitionist Frederick Douglass witnessed one of the many emotional celebrations that took place:

“The effect of this announcement was startling … and the scene was wild and grand…. My old friend Rue, a Negro preacher, … expressed the heartfelt emotion of the hour, when he led all voices in the anthem, ‘Sound the loud timbrel o’er Egypt’s dark sea, Jehovah hath triumphed, his people are free!’”

—Frederick Douglass, Life and Times of Frederick Douglass

In the South, Lincoln’s proclamation was seen as a “fiend’s act” that destroyed valuable property. The proclamation won the sympathy of Europeans, especially workers. As a result, it became less likely that Britain or any other European country would come to the aid of the South.

Question 17

When the war began how many free African Americans volunteered to fight for the Union? After Congress repealed the federal law stating African Americans cannot fight in 1862, how many enlisted in the Union Army?

Answer 17

When the war began, thousands of free blacks volunteered to fight for the Union. At first, federal law forbade African Americans to serve as soldiers. When Congress repealed that law in 1862, however, both free African Americans and African Americans who had escaped from slavery enlisted in the Union army.

Question 18

How did African Americans influence military service in the Union armyy?

Answer 18

The army assigned African American volunteers to all-black units, commanded by white officers. At first, the black troops served only as laborers. They performed noncombat duties such as building roads and guarding supplies. Black troops received only half the pay of white soldiers. African American soldiers protested against this policy of discrimination, which denied them the same treatment as other soldiers. Gradually, conditions changed. By 1863, African American troops were fighting in major battles against the Confederates. In 1864, the United States War Department announced that all soldiers would receive equal pay. By the end of the war, about 200,000 African Americans had fought for the Union. Nearly 40,000 lost their lives.

Question 19

What was the 54th Massachusetts Regiment? What did they do at Fort Wagner? Who was Sergeant William Carney?

Answer 19

One of the most famous African American units in the Union army was the 54th Massachusetts Regiment. The 54th accepted African Americans from all across the North. Frederick Douglass helped recruit troops for the regiment, and two of his sons served in it. On July 18, 1863, the 54th Massachusetts Regiment led an attack on Fort Wagner near Charleston, South Carolina. Under heavy fire, troops fought their way into the fort before being forced to withdraw. In the desperate fighting, almost half the regiment was killed. The courage and heroism of the 54th Massachusetts and other regiments helped to win respect for African American soldiers. Sergeant William Carney of the 54th Massachusetts was the first of 16 African American soldiers to win the Congressional Medal of Honor in the Civil War. Such Union heroes had “proved themselves among the bravest of the brave,” Secretary of War Edwin Stanton told Lincoln.

Question 20

How did enslaved African Americans in the South look to the Civil War as a mean of freedom? What did they do to achieve this?

Answer 20

Despite the Emancipation Proclamation, African Americans still worked in the South as slaves on plantations. However, many enslaved African Americans slowed down their work or refused to work at all. In this way, they hoped to weaken the South’s war effort. They knew that when victorious Union troops arrived in their area, they would be free.
Thousands of enslaved African Americans took direct action to free themselves. Whenever a Union army moved into a region, enslaved African Americans from all over the area would flee their former masters. They crossed the Union lines to freedom. By the end of the war, about one fourth of the South’s enslaved population had escaped to freedom.

Question 21

What was the average age of a soldier on both sides in the Civil War? What were the conditions they lived in? What happened to the restrictions on the draft as the death toll rose? What were some examples of new war technology that made the Civil War more deadly?

Answer 21

On both sides, most soldiers were under the age of 21. War, however, quickly turned gentle boys into tough men. Soldiers drilled and marched for long hours. They slept on the ground even in rain and snow. Often their clothing was inadequate and uncomfortable. Many soldiers had no shoes, especially in the Confederacy. In combat, boys of 18 learned to stand firm as cannon blasts shook the earth and bullets whizzed past their ears. As the death toll rose, the age restrictions for soldiers were relaxed. The South drafted boys as young as 17 and men as old as 50. New technology added to the horror of war. Cone-shaped bullets made rifles twice as accurate. Improved cannons hurled exploding shells several miles. The new weapons had deadly results. In most battles, one fourth or more of the soldiers were killed or wounded.

Question 22

What were the horrific conditions sick and wounded soldiers had to deal with during the Civil War?

Answer 22

Sick and wounded soldiers faced other horrors. Medical care on the battlefield was crude. Surgeons routinely amputated injured arms and legs. At the time, doctors did not know how germs cause infection and disease. As a result, minor wounds often became infected. In addition, poor sanitary conditions in the army camps allowed disease to spread rapidly. Diseases such as pneumonia and malaria killed more men than guns or cannons did. Improper diet also caused sickness.

Question 23

What conditions were prisoners of war on both sides exposed to?

Answer 23

On both sides, prisoners of war faced horrifying conditions. At Andersonville, a prison camp in Georgia, many Union prisoners died of disease or starvation. The difficult life of soldiers led many to desert. One out of every seven Union soldiers and one out of every nine Confederate soldiers deserted.

Question 24

What were Copperheads? How was the Northern opposition to war?

Answer 24

Many northerners opposed using force to keep the South in the Union. Supporters of the war called these people Copperheads, after the poisonous snake. Other northerners supported the war but opposed the way Lincoln was conducting it.

Question 25

What was the Draft Law of 1863? What was the controversy over this law?

Answer 25

As the war dragged on, public support dwindled. When the war began, the North offered men money to enlist. However, some men abused the system. They would sign up, collect the money, and then desert. Soon, however, there was a shortage of volunteers to serve in the Union army. Congress passed a draft law in 1863. It required all able-bodied males between the ages of 20 and 45 to serve in the military if they were called. Under the law, a man could avoid the draft by paying the government $300 (about as much as an unskilled worker could earn in a year) or by hiring someone to serve in his place. This angered many people, who began to see the Civil War as “a rich man's war and a poor man's fight.”

Question 26

Remember: The draft law of 1863 meant that if men wanted to avoid fighting in the war, they either paid the government $300 or hired others to fight in their place. Here, “bounty brokers” offer their services as potential substitutes.

Answer 26

The draft law of 1863 meant that if men wanted to avoid fighting in the war, they either paid the government $300 or hired others to fight in their place. Here, “bounty brokers” offer their services as potential substitutes.

Question 27

What were the riots in response to the draft? What did Lincoln do about it?

Answer 27

Opposition to the draft law led to riots in several northern cities. The law had gone into effect soon after Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Some white northerners, especially recent immigrants in the cities, believed that they were being forced to fight to end slavery. Unlike abolitionists, many people in northern cities had little reason for wanting slavery abolished. Freed African Americans, they thought, would compete with them for jobs and drive down their wages. Essentially, they feared, the draft would force them to fight for something that was against their self-interest. The draft riots showed that urbanization could lead to violent unrest. With so many people gathered in northern cities, it was possible for large-scale unrest to develop over political issues such as the draft. The worst riot took place in New York City during July 1863. For four days, white workers attacked free blacks. Rioters also attacked rich New Yorkers who had paid to avoid serving in the army. At least 74 people were killed during the riot. President Lincoln moved to stop the riots and other “disloyal practices.” Several times, he suspended habeas corpus (HAY bee uhs KOR puhs), the right to be charged or have a hearing before being jailed. Lincoln argued that the Constitution allowed him to deny people their rights “when in the cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it.” The President also said that those arrested could be tried under the stricter rules of a military court. Eventually, nearly 14,000 people were arrested. However, most were never charged with a specific crime or brought to trial.

Question 28

What were the effects of the draft in the South?

Answer 28

President Jefferson Davis struggled to create a strong federal government for the Confederacy. Many southerners firmly believed in states' rights. They resisted paying taxes to a central government. At one point, Georgia even threatened to secede from the Confederacy! Like the North, the South was forced to pass a draft law to fill its army. However, men who owned or supervised more than 20 slaves did not have to serve. Southern farmers who had few or no slaves resented this law. Near the end of the war, the South no longer had enough white men to fill the ranks. Robert E. Lee urged that enslaved African Americans be allowed to serve as soldiers. Desperate, the Confederate Congress finally agreed. The war ended, however, before more than a few thousand enslaved men fought for the Confederacy.

Question 29

Remember: The Civil War cost far more than any previous war. The Union had to use several strategies to raise money. In some ways, however, war helped the North's economy.

Answer 29

The Civil War cost far more than any previous war. The Union had to use several strategies to raise money. In some ways, however, war helped the North's economy.

Question 30

How did the North pay off the costs of the war? What is inflation?

Answer 30

To pay for the war, Congress established the nation's first income tax, or tax on people's earnings, in 1861. A new agency, the Internal Revenue Bureau, oversaw the collection process. The Union also issued bonds worth millions of dollars. Still, taxes and bonds did not raise enough money. To get the funds it needed, the North printed more than $400 million in paper money. As the money supply increased, each dollar was worth less. In response, businesses charged more for their goods. The North was experiencing inflation, a rise in prices and a decrease in the value of money. During the war, prices for goods nearly doubled in the North.

Question 31

How did the Northern economy benefit from the War?

Answer 31

The war also helped the North's economy in several ways. Since many farmers went off to fight, there was a greater need for machines to plant and harvest crops. The purchase of reapers rose to nearly 165,000 during the war. As a result, farm production actually went up during the war. The wartime demand for clothing, shoes, guns, and other goods helped many northern industries. Some manufacturers made fortunes by profiteering. Profiteers charged excessive prices for goods that the government desperately needed for the war.

Question 32

How did the war negatively impact the Southern economy?

Answer 32

For the South, war brought economic ruin. The South had to struggle with the cost of the war, the loss of the cotton trade, and severe shortages brought on by the Union blockade.

Question 33

How did the South raise money to pay off the war? How did this lead to inflation? How did the war affect their cotton trade with Britain?

Answer 33

To raise money, the Confederacy imposed an income tax and a tax-in-kind. The tax-in-kind required farmers to turn over one tenth of their crops to the government. The government took crops because it knew that southern farmers had little money. Like the North, the South printed paper money. It printed so much that wild inflation set in. By 1865, one Confederate dollar was worth only two cents in gold. Prices were especially high in Richmond, where a barrel of flour was $275 in early 1864, potatoes were $25 a bushel, and butter was $15 a pound. The war did serious damage to the cotton trade, the South's main source of income. Early in the war, President Davis halted cotton shipments to Britain. He hoped to force Britain to side with the South in return for renewed shipments of cotton. The tactic backfired. Britain simply bought more cotton from Egypt and India. Davis succeeded only in cutting the South's income.

Question 34

What were the affects of the Union blockade on the South?

Answer 34

The Union blockade created severe shortages in the South. Confederate armies sometimes had to wait weeks for supplies of food and clothing. With few factories of its own, the South bought many of its weapons in Europe. However, the blockade cut off most deliveries from across the Atlantic. To acquire goods, the government began building and running factories. Private manufacturers were offered contracts and draft exemptions for their workers if they started making war goods. For civilians, the blockade brought food shortages. The production of food became critical to the economy. Many plantations switched from growing cotton to raising grain and livestock, or animals raised for food. In some states, cotton production was limited.

Question 35

How did women contribute to the war?

Answer 35

Women of both the North and the South played vital roles during the war. As men left for the battlefields, women took jobs in industry and on farms. While men fought in the war, many women took over responsibilities of family farms and businesses. They also had to raise their families on their own. In rare instances, some women even disguised themselves as men and enlisted in the army to fight in the war. Others served as spies and provided valuable information to military commanders. Many served in army camps, some of them choosing to accompany their husbands to war. Women's aid societies helped supply the troops with food, bedding, clothing, and medicine. Throughout the North, women held fairs and other fundraising events to pay for supplies.

Question 36

How did women contribute to caring for the sick and wounded in War?

Answer 36

Women on both sides worked as nurses. At first, doctors were unwilling to permit even trained nurses to work in military hospitals. When wounded men began to swamp army hospitals, however, this attitude soon changed. In fact, women performed so well that nursing became an accepted occupation for women after the war. Dorothea Dix, famous for her work reforming prisons and mental hospitals, and Clara Barton, who later founded the American Red Cross, both became nurses for the Union army. Sojourner Truth, the African American antislavery leader, worked in Union hospitals and in camps for African Americans freed from slavery. In the South, Sally Tompkins set up a hospital in Richmond, Virginia.