Slavery During the Civil War Essay - 935 Words

The goal of the civil war was never originally to free slaves but slaves became a large part of the war. African American slaves overcame many challenges to finally receive their freedom. Many African Americans endured the chance to fight for the union and that immensely increased the man power of the union. Life for slaves was difficult. Every year they normally received two cotton shirts, one jacket, two pairs of trousers, a pair of socks, a pair of shoes, a coat, and a wool hat. To eat, slaves of the time mostly were given eight pounds of pork or fish, and cornmeal salt herring each month. Slaves were housed in wooden shacks with dirt floors, but sometimes they were made of boards nailed up with cracks stuffed with rags. The beds†¦show more content†¦Plantation owners thought that this extreme discipline would make the slaves too scared to rebel. In South Carolina it was said that a slave owner would put nails in a barrel sticking out on the inside of the barrel, then p ut the slave in and roll him/her down a very long and steep hill. Another punishment slave owners used was to whip their slaves. Other slave owners in Virginia smoked their slaves. This involved whipping them and putting them in a tobacco smokehouse.(life of a slave thinkquest) Other punishments were getting beaten with various objects such as a chair, broom, tongs, shovel, shears, knife handles, the heavy end of a woman’s shoe, and an oak club.(life of a slave thinkquest) Although slaves lived terrible lives, they found hope in religion. Many converted to Christianity which did not please many whites. One of the main reasons masters did not want their slaves to become Christians involved the Bible. This was one reason why many plantation owners tried very hard to stop their slaves from becoming literate. If they learned to read it would become a threat to their religion. In the South, African American people were not normally allowed to go to church services. African Americ an people in the North were actually allowed to attend church services. Drums, which were played in traditional religious ceremonies, where not allowed due to overseers scared that they would use them to encode messages. In 1862, the union was forced toShow MoreRelatedSlavery During The Civil War1159 Words   |  5 PagesThe Civil War, occurring between the years 1861 and 1865, was a devastating effect of sectionalism caused by the division of the country on the topic of slavery. Slavery impacted every aspect of the country, whether in the North or the South, though primarily in the South; major impacts were in the politics and economy of the early country ways which inevitably caused the Civil War. Slavery was the focal point of the economy in the South, this inthrallment was the fuel for the agricultural SouthRead MoreSlavery During The Civil War989 Words   |  4 Pagesthe foul seeds of slavery in American soil. Quickly, slavery would spread like weeds throughout the colonies, and became significantly important to the South. According to the Constitutional Rights Foundation, â€Å"Before the Civil War, nearly 4 million black slaves toiled in the American South.† However, during the late 1800s, many American citizens began to contemplate the mortality of slavery, thereby causing the states to divide. Although the North was for the abolition of slavery, the South defendedRead MoreSlavery During The Civil War Essay1728 Words   |  7 Pages Eighteen century was a time period when slavery took deep roots in the New World. Slavery institution deeply affected and shaped the United States in the way we know it now. 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Their rights of political and social freedoms were also stripped awayRead MoreSlavery During The Civil War Essay1761 Words   |  8 PagesThe idea of slavery in early America began when African slaves were brought to the newly settled North American settlement called Jamestown in Virginia in 1619, to help in the cultivation of cash crops as tobacco. Slavery was practiced all throughout the colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries, with the abundance of practically free labor provided from the enslaved African-Americans helped pave the road of economic foundations in the newly founded nation. With the invention of the cotton gin in 1793Read MoreSlavery During The Civil War1751 Words   |  8 PagesFreedom. Independence. Liberty. Slavery in America began as early as the 1600’s when the colonists began settling in Jamestown. Originally, slavery was merely a small system of labor, meant to aid the production of crops and help build the economic foundations of the New World. The concept of slavery differed from place to place and from person to person. Some believed that owning another person as a source of free labor was just, wanting to extend the idea of slavery. Others thought the labor systemRead MoreSlavery During The Civil War1900 Words   |  8 Pageslifestyles, abolitionists from north were against slavery and advocated emancipation to slaves in the south. Slavery may not have been the only factor that sparked a disagreement between the north and south but it certainly had an influence on states decisions to remain or leave the Union. The conflict of slavery has been an issue as early as the American Revolution but it became a serious problem around the 1850’s and during the Civil War. The impact slavery had on the Union can be seen in events suchRead MoreSlavery During The Civil War Essay1754 Words   |  8 Pages‘Modern’ slavery in America began in 1619 when the first wave of slaves, were brought from Africa to a North American colony in Jamestown, Virginia. From 1619 to 1807 (when The Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves was made) according to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Database 12.5 million african were shipped to America. Prior to this slavery had existed as early as 1400 in europe. In America their sole purpose was to facilitate the production of lucrative crops such as Tobacco and cotton. By the 18thRead MoreSlavery During The Civil War1636 Words   |  7 PagesThe Reasons that led to the Continue of Slavery in Virginia When Englishmen arrived at Jamestown they found a great land for farming. A few years later when the Englishmen decided to settle down at the new land, they grew a high-grade tobacco at the Chesapeake . It did not take long time for settlers to understand that they could pay their fines, debts, and taxes with tobacco, so they started to grow tobacco everywhere. In order to support economic growth and luxury living, EnglishmenRead MoreSlavery During The Civil War1908 Words   |  8 PagesThroughout the 1800s in America, slavery was a controversy between the north and the south. A Slave was one who was the property of another human being under law and was forced to obey them. The North felt that slavery was unfair and inhumane, whereas in the South, they felt as though slavery was crucial to their success. African American slaves were not allowed many rights: they were not allowed to testify in court against a white person, could not receive an education, or even sign c ontracts