Civil War Essay

In order to understand why the civil war happen you have to understand how the north and the south felt. The entire south and the north both had different ways of life the north was becoming more urban while the south was predominantly rural. In addition the north and south had different views over slavery, which made other wars lead up to the civil war. For example, the Anaconda plane was to help plan for a long war. Following up by that Abraham Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation to free slaves but not those in the union control. The most famous African American unit was the 54th Massachusetts regiment they showed a lot of courage. Even though there were a lot of racial conflicts even in the north that led to a lot of controversy with African Americans fighting in the war, they had a huge impact and played an important role in the civil war. Dealing with draft riots and not giving the fair equipment to fight in the war African Americans still over came these obstacles. Some slaves were also used a spies to get information out of the opposing side. What many also admired about African Americans was there courage to fight in a war for their freedom when they didn’t even get fair pay.
African Americans showed such heroic acts that whites even started to show them respect and look at them differently. A white officer said, " You have no idea how my prejudices with regard to Negro troops have been dispelled…[They] behaved magnificently and fought splendidly… They are far superior in discipline to the white troops, and just as brave" (hart 127). The 54th Massachusetts Regiment was looked upon for the soldier’s fearless ways it was the most known black unit. Sergeant William H. Carney became the first African American to earn the Medal of Honor for his bravery in the Fort Wagner battle. That was the nations highest military award. They would not stop fighting until they were forced to withdraw. This gain blacks a voice in the army they were now admitted to fight in the war. Before that act they had to fight in the war with secrecy. All blacks wanted to do was fight in a "white mans war"(massmoments.org.) to get there own freedom. The 54th fought with the 35th United States colored troops at the battle of Olstee. They saved them from havoc running into battle shouting “Three cheers for Massachusetts and seven dollars" (black hawk design. Net.) Being as though blacks fought with such superior force they should have the same equal rights as whites but they didn’t. The 54th Massachusetts regiment protested, they had to stand up for themselves for equal pay that should be given to them already. Congress gave in and changed the law that blacks had the right to get equal pay. But that wasn’t until after the battle of Olstee. They fought in more battles, which they continued to earn a name for themselves they our still honored till this day.
African Americans were also used as spies or black dispatchers to get stuff from the opposing team. Robert E. lee once said, "The chief source of information to the enemy is through our Negroes"(associatedcontent.com.) They were sent to work as servants or cooks. Then get information that will help them in the war. One known couple that was spies was the Dabney’s. They went and worked for the other side to bring back information for General Joseph Hooker. Everything that was talked about which corps was moving, or about to move, how long they been marching, and in what direction everything Dabney said turned out to be true. His wife used clothesline pins to tell him what would go on ( by David E. Markle) One very known spy is Harriet Tubman and ex slave who worked with the Underground Railroad. The union army asked her to gather African American men to come join with her and gather information to help them take down the south and win the civil war. They saw how she could free so many slaves without being caught and remember different routs to bring them to freedom. She also trained the spies to persuade the other slaves to leave their master and join the black regiment. She was known as mosses because of her secret ways to move around and free her people from harsh treatments. Just like the biblical Moses, he led the Hebrews out of enslavement in Egypt. She freed a lot of slaves with her ability to transport without being notice. Harriet Tubman helped one Colonel James Montgomery plan a raid to free slaves along the Combahee River in South Carolina. She found information that would help them achieve they plan without getting caught. They freed 750 slaves and did not loose one solider in the attack (Fox, kids.nationalgeograpgics.com.) She wasn’t even awarded for her achievements by helping the army out she was only granted 200 dollars for three years. She never got her back military pay and when she tried to apply for pension her application was denied. She only got a pension because of being the widow of her second husband (womenshistory.com.) She did make a living by making home remedies and selling them to take care of her family and her self. This is the thanks that African Americans got back then for being loyal to the union. Another spy that helped out during the civil war was John Scobell. John Scobell a former slave from Mississippi was recruited by Allan Pinkerton. Allan was a U.S. detective and spy for the union army during the civil war. He created the Pinkerton Agency. He became Chief of Intelligence when the civil war started. John was considered to be an actor which made him fit into character of the different roles he had to play. This made his job easier. He played roles such as acting as a cook, food vendor or servant. He provided the union with valuable information on the Confederate troop movement, orders to battle and other tactical procedures. He would go into the clack community and seek out information from prominent leaders and various cognoscenti. His services ended when George B. McClellan took charge (encyclomedia.com/john_scobell.html.) After the war, African Americans being recognized for their hard work in the war died off. Racial and prejudice and a lack of official records of intelligence were factors in the lack of accomplishments (www.cia.gov/news-information/featured-story-archive/black-dispatches.html.)
Dealing with all of that, African Americans had a hard time with the war because of draft picks. All male citizens between twenty and thirty-five and all unmarried men between thirty-five and forty-five years of age were subjected to military duty. Those who could have hired a substitute or pay the government 300 dollars might avoid being enlisted into the war. Blacks, who were not considered citizens, were exempt from the draft. The “nigger war” draft law aimed at white middle class people. They began to get angry and anti war news papers began to pop up. They compared the price of Negroes being sold which were 1,000 and them not being able to go to the war for 300 dollars. They thought blacks were gaining powers cause of that. Monday July 13, 1863 between six and seven a.m. the five days of mayhem and bloodshed that would be known as the civil war draft riots began. They turned their attacks on black people. They burned the houses and property of blacks and people who helped them out. The riots continued to get more outrageous they were being hanged, beaten, and burned. One African American William Jones was hanged beaten and burned right on the docks. Whites forced blacks to leave the city 11 were lynched over the five days of disaster (Harris, In The Shadows of Slavery: African American in NYC.) Throughout it all blacks still over came the hard ship challenges thrown at them.
Being deprived of rights they deserved blacks still continued to move forward and help their race gain freedoms they so rightfully earned and deserved which should have been giving to them because of their dedication in the war. They played huge roles that were looked upon because of the color of their skin. They showed courageous acts in odd situations the 54th Massachusetts Regiment is still looked at upon this day. They showed whites that they could fight just a strong and fearless as them. They showed courage back then that people thought blacks didn’t have. African Americans being spies made it possible for the union army to win the civil war. They had such distinguished ways that made them unnoticeable when gathering important information on the other side. Although they didn’t earn pay for helping out they earned the right to say I help my country set my people one step closer to being free. Lastly, they had to deal with being killed over not going to the war because they weren’t considered men. Draft riots caused them to relocate because they couldn’t go to war whites got mad and wanted to hurt them. African Americans still kept their faith that one day they will be free and considered equal as a white man.