Emancipation and the end of the war

when was slavery introduced to the US

1619

where were the majority of slaves in the 13 colonies

South

how much was an enslaved person counted as in the US Constitution

3/5th of a person

to even out the House of Representatives

declaration of independence 1776

“all men are created equal”

10th amendment

any rights not given to the federal government are given to the state

Civil War

1861 – 1865

Fought mainly over slavery and states’ rights. Southern states (Confederacy) wanted to preserve slavery; the Union (North) fought to preserve the U.S. and later to abolish slavery

secession

• the act of Southern states withdrawing from the Union primarily to protect the institution of slavery, leading to the Civil War

• the 11 states who tried to secede from the US became known as the Confederacy

Abraham Lincoln

elected 12th potus 1860 and took office in 1861

president 1861-1865

African Americans gained legal civil rights when

1865-1870

African American population by the end of 18th century

20% of total population of 13 original states

19th century cotton-based economy growth for the South meant

states’ dependence on slave labour

abolitionist movement

• the earliest movement demanding abolition of slaves dating from 1817 when the American Colonisation Society demanded a gradual emancipation of the slaves with compensation for their owners

• most supporters of abolition resided in the northern states

despite this a significant % of the population was hostile to African-American equality

1854 federal system

• the Republican Party with its base of support in the North was formed as a party opposed to slavery

• by contrast the Democrat Party is strong in the South and especially among plantation owners was split over the question

Emancipation Proclamation

1862

• black people could no longer be owned as property by others and were free to leave their masters

• resulted in slaves continuing to leave their plantations

• freed slaves in rebel-held territory in the South

13th ammendment

1865

• by now all slaves were formally freed

• turning point in progress of AA towards securing a better life

• the abolition of slavery

• led to unleashing 3.5m former slaves into society