The American Civil War and Its Effects on Slavery

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For generations, the civil war has been told and portrayed as a war of national freedom for the african american slaves, but even after the war was won, many people lived a restricted and unfair life. Famous historian, Eric Foner describes the Civil War as a “new birth of freedom”. In my opinion, this was only a “turning the knob” to the door of freedom. This was the beginning of “getting there”. African American slaves did not receive their full freedom and equality after this war. Some people wonder why is the Civil War named the first modern war and how it transformed socially and economically for the union and confederacy. It’s important to discuss the turning points of the war and the importance of the “rehearsals of reconstruction”. But then we ask, how did the war change from preserving the union to the war to abolish slavery?

The Civil War started due to the differences between the free states and the slave states over the national decisions of prohibiting slavery in the new territories. During this time, President Abraham Lincoln was elected and was totally against slavery and would ot allow slavery in the new territories. So the original slave states formed their own nation and titled themselves “The Confederate States of America”The war all started when the confederate came to Fort Sumter in Charleston Bay on April 12th, 1861, they claimed the fort as their own. Then opened fire and started shooting and commanded that they take down the American flag that was there. But the more active and deadly fightings doesn’t start until 1862. This was the beginning of the deadliest wars in American history.

In support of the fact that the civil war was one of the deadliest war in history, it would not have been so deadly ...

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...d and bad of the reconstruction is to show readers and historians that it took a long time for slaves to actually become free. It took almost a hundred years for African Americans to get where they are now, even with the victory of the Union.

Works Cited

"Mississippi Black Code." Last modified November 25, 1865. Accessed January 23, 2014. http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/exhibits/reconstruction/section4/section4_blackcodes.html.

Douglas A., Blackmon. "Black Code and Pig Laws." Accessed January 23, 2014. http://www.pbs.org/tpt/slavery-by-another-name/themes/black-codes/.

Abraham Lincoln, "Emancipation Proclamation ." (speech., 1862), http://www.emancipationproclamation.org/.

Dr. James, Mcpherson. "A Brief Overview of the American Civil War." Accessed January 23, 2014. http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/civil-war-overview/overview.html.

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