Chapter 14: A Birth of Freedom: A Civil War (1861-1865)
Alexander H. Stephens believes that the blacks are innately suited for the condition of slaves
He offers several arguments to support his claim
Positive Good: Slavery is not only legal and constitutional, but it is also a good thing
It is a system of race control
The south’s economy rests on slavery
A black person is not equal to a white man
Stephens felt that the fundamental flaw of the constitution is that it assumed the equality of races
Marcus M. Spiegel - was a union soldier fighting in the Civil War who earned the rank of colonel
In his letter to his brother-in-law, he makes it clear that he is in favor of the abolition of slavery
Spiegel began to see how the institution of slavery operated
His letter demonstrates how those in favor of slavery likely had no idea of its true essence
He was reluctant to oppose states’ rights and make their laws regarding slavery
Cox believed that emancipating slaves would endanger the liberties of white northerners
It would lower the wages of the whites and be a burden on Northern Industry
Samuel Cox anticipates that formerly enslaved people would be permanently segregated from whites because of racial prejudice
Lincoln dated the nation's foundation from 1776 (the date of the Declaration of Independence) rather than 1787 when the Constitution was written.
It was in 1776 that entitled them to a permanent place in the pantheon of benefactors of all mankind
Men had labored to establish and secure a political system based on the premise of human equality and dedicated to the enjoyment of liberty for all
Abraham Lincoln believed that the Civil War brought America a “new birth of freedom“
During the war began the nation’s efforts to come to terms with the destruction of slavery and to define the meaning of freedom
Douglass believed that Black service served as an advantage to men of color
They would gain self-respect, self-defense skills, and an undeniable justification for the rights of citizenship
Mrs. Johnson wrote a letter addressed to the president where she emphasized that for every captured black soldier enslaved, a Confederate prisoner would be put to hard labor for the duration of the war
She believed that slavery was no better than robbery and letting slaveholders live on stolen labor
She used a directive yet mellow tone
She urged President Lincoln to do what was right by treating black and white soldiers equally
Northern Freedom - Every man is free to do what he wants with himself
Southern Freedom - it is up to the white man what he wants to do with his slaves
They did not want to be controlled by the federal government
It was Liberty vs. Tyranny
In his speech, he used the metaphor of the wolf and the sheep and the differences in views of liberty
The shepherd took the wolf from the sheep’s throat
The sheep was black and this represents how races cannot settle on commonality when it comes to liberties and freedoms
Everyone thinks they are entitled to certain things
Mary Livermore argued that women’s lack of education perpetuated the idea that women could not be equal with men
She argued that the ability to pursue education and take on the responsibilities of citizenship was freedom
Alexander H. Stephens believes that the blacks are innately suited for the condition of slaves
He offers several arguments to support his claim
Positive Good: Slavery is not only legal and constitutional, but it is also a good thing
It is a system of race control
The south’s economy rests on slavery
A black person is not equal to a white man
Stephens felt that the fundamental flaw of the constitution is that it assumed the equality of races
Marcus M. Spiegel - was a union soldier fighting in the Civil War who earned the rank of colonel
In his letter to his brother-in-law, he makes it clear that he is in favor of the abolition of slavery
Spiegel began to see how the institution of slavery operated
His letter demonstrates how those in favor of slavery likely had no idea of its true essence
He was reluctant to oppose states’ rights and make their laws regarding slavery
Cox believed that emancipating slaves would endanger the liberties of white northerners
It would lower the wages of the whites and be a burden on Northern Industry
Samuel Cox anticipates that formerly enslaved people would be permanently segregated from whites because of racial prejudice
Lincoln dated the nation's foundation from 1776 (the date of the Declaration of Independence) rather than 1787 when the Constitution was written.
It was in 1776 that entitled them to a permanent place in the pantheon of benefactors of all mankind
Men had labored to establish and secure a political system based on the premise of human equality and dedicated to the enjoyment of liberty for all
Abraham Lincoln believed that the Civil War brought America a “new birth of freedom“
During the war began the nation’s efforts to come to terms with the destruction of slavery and to define the meaning of freedom
Douglass believed that Black service served as an advantage to men of color
They would gain self-respect, self-defense skills, and an undeniable justification for the rights of citizenship
Mrs. Johnson wrote a letter addressed to the president where she emphasized that for every captured black soldier enslaved, a Confederate prisoner would be put to hard labor for the duration of the war
She believed that slavery was no better than robbery and letting slaveholders live on stolen labor
She used a directive yet mellow tone
She urged President Lincoln to do what was right by treating black and white soldiers equally
Northern Freedom - Every man is free to do what he wants with himself
Southern Freedom - it is up to the white man what he wants to do with his slaves
They did not want to be controlled by the federal government
It was Liberty vs. Tyranny
In his speech, he used the metaphor of the wolf and the sheep and the differences in views of liberty
The shepherd took the wolf from the sheep’s throat
The sheep was black and this represents how races cannot settle on commonality when it comes to liberties and freedoms
Everyone thinks they are entitled to certain things
Mary Livermore argued that women’s lack of education perpetuated the idea that women could not be equal with men
She argued that the ability to pursue education and take on the responsibilities of citizenship was freedom
