African American Soldiers and The Civil War

African American soldiers and the Civil War term papers report that the Civil War was unquestionably about slavery. Despite the attempts of Southerners to portray the struggle as two things other than slavery:

1. State's Rights
2. Union Preservation

The issue that had been dividing America into North and South was slavery. Although the Civil War broke out in April 1861, Abraham Lincoln and the United States Government kept African-Americans out of the military until late 1862, and the Union Army kept them out of combat until the summer of 1863. If Lincoln could assert that "the bare sight of fifty thousand armed and drilled black soldiers on the banks of the Mississippi, would end the rebellion at once" why did it take so long to bring these men into the conflict that would determine their status in the realm of freedom? This is a topic suggestion on African American Soldiers and the Civil War from Paper Masters. Use this topic or order a custom research paper, written exactly how you need it to be.

Civil War and Elections

Part of the problem lay in mere politicking. The election of 1860 was one of the most crucial ones in American history. With the Democrats hopelessly split between Northern and Southern candidates (Stephen A. Douglas and John C. Breckenridge) and a fourth candidate (John Bell) entering into the fray, the Republicans were searching for a moderate candidate with appeal enough to carry the election. That candidate was Abraham Lincoln, whose views on slavery were quite moderate in comparison with other Republicans.

Slavery and The Civil War

After the outbreak of hostilities in the spring of 1861, Lincoln insisted that the conflict was not about slavery. The conflict was "strictly a war to save the Union and not to free the slaves," the new President asserted. But Lincoln's position began shifting almost immediately. General Benjamin Butler declared the numerous fugitive slaves flocking to his command "contraband," and Lincoln, although not desiring emancipation, supported this definition.