...Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation is one of the most revered documents in United States history. In its time, the document effectively freed the slaves but also marked the first step in creating an America with racial equality. Therefore, because of its significance in shaping the ideals of the United States, many people assume that future leaders of the nation would view the Emancipation Proclamation in the same way. However, in looking at speeches made by Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Barack Obama during some of the most notable time periods in United States history, it becomes evident that presidents did not approach Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in the same way. Instead, circumstances surrounding each particular administration...
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...Tragic Death at Ford’s Theater: Just or Unjust? Imagine enjoying a play on a regular evening with your family. Next thing you know, the person next to you is dead and chaos breaks out. Abraham Lincolin was assassinated mainly because of his actions and beliefs. Lincoln was well known as a fighter against slavery. He became the 16th president of the United States in 1860. He was also a military leader during the civil war and issued the Emancipation Proclamation which freed all slaves in the Confederate States (History.com). Abraham Lincoln's’ assassination was unjustified because he was an honest, role model to many,equal manbelieved in equality, and a was a revolutionary leader; however others many believed that thought he was a rebel too rebellious....
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...well as the five dollar bill. Lincoln also makes an appearance as one of the four famous American Presidents carved into the miraculous Mount Rushmore. In our opinion Abraham Lincoln was an extremely interesting and important individual because of his involvement in the Emancipation Proclamation, his assassination, and the many legends told of him such as the nickname, “Honest Abe.” Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in Hardin, Kentucky to Thomas and Nancy Lincoln. Even though he lacked a thorough formal education, he was determined to make a difference nonetheless. One of his first political roles was in March of 1832 when he campaigned for the Illinois General Assembly. Although he had the popularity vote, he was not as strong in other aspects like in the way of money and education. This could have been the reason that he did not win the election. Later on in 1846 Lincoln was voted to serve a two-year term in the United States House of Representatives. He had many political roles leading up to the presidential election of 1860, by which he became the sixteenth president of the United States of America. Abraham Lincoln played an important role in the Battle of Fort Sumter during the American Civil War. Soon after Abraham Lincoln’s success in the presidential election of 1860, South Carolina implemented an edict affirming its secession from the United States of America. By February of 1861, six other Southern states had agreed on similar orders of secession. On February...
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...The Union War “Without an appreciation of why loyal citizens believed a Union that guaranteed democratic self-government was worth great sacrifice, no accurate understanding of the Civil War era was possible” (Gallagher). I agree with this statement by Gallagher because if it wasn’t for the decisions and executions of the Union I am not sure if I would be living in a democratic, free society today. In The Union War, Gallagher “offers a companion volume that extends his manifesto against hindsight, what Gallagher calls the ‘Appomattox syndrome,’ to histories of the Union” (Gallagher, 79). According to Gallagher, researchers who work backward from emancipation and Reconstruction have expanded northern devotion to race, slavery, and abolition while complicating loyal Americans’ major war aim, the Union. The above quote stated by Gary Gallagher is one of the main causes as to why the North won the Civil War because with the joining of citizens who wanted to fight for their democratic government, it gave the Union more soldiers that wanted to fight than the Confederates. They won the Civil War simply because they had more people. The North won the Civil War they were on the right side of human ethical issues. They had their best interest in helping the morals of humans and this alone helps citizens be able to trust the Union’s tendencies and this can also make a citizen loyal. The North clearly had more men to fight for them and there were more people that wanted to end slavery,...
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...individuals are probably familiar with the well-documented information regarding African American history, such as the Civil Rights Movement and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but there are also many little known facts about their history that are of equal importance. African Americans have been present in the United States ever since the early 1600s and their presents plays an important role in American history not only because of the Civil Rights Movement, but because of the strength and courage that they had struggling to try and live a good life in America. History is rife with records of decades of untold torture and harrowing experiences that African American slaves suffered from at the hands of their captors and masters; they were even denied all natural rights as human beings and forced to live like animals. In all actuality, a slave was viewed as one-third of a person and the property of their owner(s), treated as an object instead of a person. Therefore, one could assume that after their emancipation, life would have become significantly better because the slavers were free to move away from the torturous hands of their masters. However, most of them faced incredible opposition and discrimination even after emancipation. Thus by and large, did not truly free them nor did it directly lead to an increased quality of life or stand of living; but it did however end slavery and began the process of attaining their freedom. Over the course of many centuries the...
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...Women, Slaves, and Free Blacks in the Civil War What roles did the Northern women play in the war effort on the Union side during the Civil War? What roles did the Southern women play in the war effort on the Confederate side during the Civil War? How did the war affect each group? “There were just shy of 400 documented cases of women who served as soldiers during the Civil War, according to the records of the Sanitary Commission.” (Brown, 2012) Women during the 19th century, according to Historian Barbara Welters were “hostage of the home”. (Brown, 2012) Women were considered what we know now as home wives, without really the option of doing anything outside of the home. When the Civil War began, that meant that men left home behind to go join the ranks. Therefore, the duty lie heavily on the women. The war, in a sense, gave women independence. Instead of just taking care of the home and children, women had to fulfill the duties their husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons once fulfilled due to the economic hardships. (“Over the course of the war, inflation in the South caused prices to rise by 9000%.”) (U.S. History Online Textbook, 2015) The women in the South held fundraisers to raise money for army supplies and also provided soldiers with necessary supplies of everyday life. In the South, many women had to become school teachers (for the first time) and eventually were granted permission to work in the hospitals due to the lack of nurses due to all the casualties...
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...many important events that have changed how America is ran and how Americans live. Some changes are more important than others, but they have all shaped how America is today. Whether it be war, inventions, or presidents, they have all changed America into what it is. Three events that have changed America between 1776 and 1870 are independence from Great Britain, The Civil War, and the election of Abraham Lincoln. Independence from Great Britain started with a book. Common Sense was written by Thomas Paine in January 1776. It was the first document to openly discuss independence from Britain. Thomas Paine argued that people in the colonies deserved an egalitarian government, meaning they are equal and deserved rights. This started an uproar in the colonies. So congress began to discuss independence. The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson and was ratified on July 4, 1776. This document announced the independence from Britain and began the newly independent America....
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...provide “specific references” and cite respective sources. ❖ 15 (Fifteen Points a Piece) + 5 (Five) free = 200 points. Chapter 10: • How and why did southern and northern white people differ over slavery? On what did white people of both regions agree and disagree about race and slavery? • Why did seven southern states secede from the Union within three months after Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860? • If you were either a slave or free, would you have welcomed the secession of the southern states? How might secession affect the future of your people? Chapter 11: • What did black men and women contribute to the Union war effort? Was it in their interests to participate in the Civil War? Why or why not? • What was the purpose of the Emancipation Proclamation? Why was it issued? Exactly what did it accomplish? • Why did at least some blacks support the southern states and the Confederacy during the Civil War? Chapter 12: • What did the former slaves and the former slaveholders want after emancipation? Were these desires realistic? How did former slaves and former slave masters disagree after the end of slavery? • Why did radical Republicans object to President Andrew Johnson’s Reconstruction policies? Why did Congress impose its own Reconstruction policies? • Why did black men gain the right to vote, but not possession of land? Chapter 13: • Why was it so difficult for the...
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...Slavery was abolished in the United States in 1865, however racial discrimination and prejudice against black people was still a prevalent issue. Even after the civil war and the passing of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment, states still continued to implement laws that inhibited equal opportunities for African Americans along with other social injustices blacks faced from other people due to the racist mentality of the time. Homer Plessy, a resident of Louisiana, decided he was going to stand up for his rights by defying these laws to bring forth the idea that states legislatures do not abide by the constitution and the 13th,14th, and 15th amendment in these newly developed laws to demonstrate the inequalities African Americans still faced....
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...Julius Caesar and Abraham Lincoln are undeniable two of the greatest men in history. When comparing the two, there are not a lot of things they have in common. However, there are some main things that they did have in common. Both of them were powerful leaders, they both lost parents at a young age, they were in the military and they both were assassinated. Julius Caesar and Abraham Lincoln lived during different time periods. Caesar was born in 100 BC in Rome (Alvin et al., 2009). Julius was considered to be a dictator and a manipulator. In Caesar home city he was a leader. When the people were not allowed to be in any decisions were made for the country. Caesar had the most power in his country and he was able to control a large army. As time went on Julius Caesar gained more power. Many in the Senate felt that he was a very dangerous, ambitious man. They didn’t like all the vicissitude that Caesar was endeavoring to make to their country. They considered Caesar’s power as a disregard and disrespect to authority, tradition, and Roman rules. Caesar had many occasions to challenge Roman commanders and many of their opponents, which lead to many civil wars. But his decision to cross Rubicon was against the Roman law (Alvin et al., 2009). Julius Caesar’s zeal and overconfidence that he became invincible in both Rome and battle, because his soldiers resected and doted him; he mentally conceived that he could pursue whatever he wanted. This led to his demise. Some members of...
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...president. Throughout the book, McPherson pinpoints the significant turning point throughout Lincolns life allowing the reader to fall in love with Abraham Lincoln but also understand completely who Abraham Lincoln was. Uneasily, McPherson navigated through the Civil War explaining how it started and Lincoln’s involvement. James M. McPherson starts off by introducing Abraham Lincoln at birth. Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, in Hardin, Kentucky. His father, Thomas Lincoln, was an illiterate farmer who favored labor over education. Consequently, every time Abraham Lincoln indulge himself in a book, his father would criticize his actions and label them as laziness. Abraham’s mother, Nancy Hanks, was no different from Thomas Lincoln reasoning being; they were both illiterate and from a low social class. Although, being from a low...
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...McClellan’s Influence and Role During the Civil War Chad Hoskins 4446301 MILH 542 Professor Steven Sledge American Public University March 15, 2015 1 Many men during the Civil War made huge contributions that effected their respective sides cause. Some for the worse and some for the better. Battles can be broke down, strategic moves dissected, and even personnel moves debated. But individual men are examined on how they influenced armies, battles, and even their leaders. With that mentioned, George B. McClellan, a great military mind and strategist, perhaps is looked as one of the great leaders during the Civil War who could have made better decisions, change certain outcomes, and maybe even retained the confidence of President Lincoln. George B. McClellan came from a very prominent family who lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (1) George was born December 3, 1826 to Dr. George McClellan who had founded Jefferson Medical College. George’s mother was Elizabeth Sophia Steinmetz Brinton McClellan who came from a leading family in the Philadelphia area. George was the third of five children and had a passion for law. At the young age of 13 he attended the University of Pennsylvania. After just two years of studying law, McClellan changed his focus to military service. Now young George B. McClellan was only 15 at the time when he entered the United States Military Academy in 1842. It took a letter from his father to President John Tyler...
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...American Civil Rights Background Timeline of events / Personalities 1860: Abraham Lincoln elected US president. * Made the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, a law which would see the release of all slaves in America. * Belief that the slaves should be freed was a key factor in sparking the American civil war. 1861: The American Civil War begins at fort Sumter. * Fought between the United States of America, who opposed slavery, and the Confederate States of America, a new nation established by seven slave states in the south. * Not the only reason for the civil war, slavery was a key issue being fought over. 1865: The 13th amendment is passed, permanently outlawing slavery. * Shortly after the surrender of all confederate forces, ending the civil war. 1866: The civil rights act is passed by Congress. * The first to define US citizenship as well as state that all citizens were protected by the law. * It is expected that the act was passed, despite being vetoed repeatedly by President Andrew Johnson, in order to protect the rights of African-Americans. 1870: The 15th amendment is passed, giving the black man the right to vote. 1875: A bi-racial senate and House of Representatives passes the civil rights act. * Designed to protect all Americans in their access to accommodations and facilities such as restaurants. * Never enforced and was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme court in 1883 1896: The Supreme Court introduces...
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...The Impact of Slavery on American Society DeVry University Abstract The subject of slavery has been the focus of a variety of controversies, debates, and protests throughout American history. Besides the Civil War era there has not been another time in history when slavery has been such a volatile topic as it has become in the last half decade. Even in modern day America the subject of slavery evokes significant discussions and has influenced legislative decisions such as the recent removal of the Confederate flag from South Carolina’s State House grounds and other government and public locations throughout the South. This paper seeks to review the literature attaching the history of slavery and present examples of the ethnic and cultural contributions that aided in the growth and diversity of America. It will also introduce examples of today’s societal issues including educational, economic, and social variances; the right to support cultural heritage; and the significant role history plays in influencing decisions made in America today. Introduction American history is filled with heinous acts that many would like to forget happened; slavery is no exception. Although it was a necessity of the times, slavery is undoubtedly one of the most volatile topics of discussion today; not just because of the inhuman and discriminatory treatment that was inflicted on an entire race, but also because of the perceived continued existence of some of those same...
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...important to the way we live in today’s society and play an important role in our lives. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights is the foundation for our country and the Amendments it includes gives our citizens their individual rights. The Constitution is what separates us from any other country. Certain Amendments were able to pave the way for all groups of individuals to have equal rights. The Constitution is a living document and was created that way to keep growing and changing to evolve with the American people. Our founding fathers understood that times would change the United States would grow and have different issues then our forefathers had. Because they understood this when they created the Constitution of the United States which included article V. Article V of the United States Constitution states that whenever two thirds of both houses decides an amendment is necessary they can propose it. A proposed amendment becomes part of the Constitution after it is ratified by three fourths of the 50 states. An amendment means a change, addition, correction or alteration to the current Constitution. The reason our Constitution has amendments is because our country is constantly being change. Without amendment would be stuck to the same rules and regulations as our forefathers. Amendments were made to the Constitution in order to improve it. The Constitution was created by our forefathers to create better government. They did not want to live by the articles of Confederation...
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