Asia Swarming the American Hive #4

In class, we watched the other groups present their topics. We learned from them about different things that were happening in America or in the world and how they related to the theme of people places or power. The following short paragraphs show what I learned from the class.

Labor vs. Big Business

Big business owners and inventors held all the power. They controlled communication, transportation, prices, the economy and the job market. People who worked for them were often treated poorly, worked long hours under harsh conditions and weren't paid well. Despite the good things large businesses brought into the picture, their invention created a huge imbalance of power the economy and social classes of America. 

Immigration Europe

Families came to America to get a better education, better jobs, get away from bad conditions in their home countries. They would face health tests and identity tests before they could come to America, if they didn't pass they were immediately shipped back. Immigrants congregated in areas of the city near other people from their country because it was familiar and easier to adjust/do daily activities. They faced some racism from Americans who didn't want them there so at times it was hard to find jobs or housing. 

Imperialism Europe and Africa

The Natives were treated as savages and slaves with Europeans trying to control them. They exploited the riches of the foreign land and decisions were made without the consent of the natives. 

Native Americans

They were forced out of their land so that Americans could settle there and expand west.  They were forced to walk hundreds of miles away from their homes, they were plagued by sickness, starvation and cruel treatment from whites while on their journey. Americans attempted to force Native Americans to blend with the white population by going to the same school etc. and help get rid of their culture.

American Imperialism

America wanted more power for themselves so they tried to make the islands south of them, like Hawaii, the Philippines etc, their territory. Caused the Spanish American war, helped demonstrate America's military prowess. 

Asia Swarming the American Hive #3

My group helped me narrow down my key terms and definitions a great deal. By doing this, I was able to focus on what was really important to the Asian Immigration. When I had fewer definitions it was easier for me to learn to a deeper extent how they fit into the topic and how they had an impact on the people of the time. My group also helped me to reword my enduring understandings so they made more sense and gave a clearer picture of what my notes were about and what each understanding was expressing. This also helped me to focus on what was important to each understanding and if the understanding was important to the topic as a whole.

Everyone collaborating and discussing their enduring understandings and which key terms they thought should or should not have been included allowed us to ask each other questions, voice different opinions and it forced us to look deeper at the topic than we normally would have. Through all of this, I think everyone learned about Asian Immigration in a much more meaningful and memorable way than we would have without this collaborative aspect. I think everything went well for the most part. I can't decide whether or not I liked that our videos could only be 60 seconds. On one hand, it makes our points simpler and easier to understand. They have less frills surrounding them and it forced us to get straight to the point. On the other hand, I feel as though we may have missed a few important points while narrowing down what we could and could not say so as to fit most of our information into the 60 second video. Overall I think this was a decent experience and I know that I learned more because we were able to work in a group.

Asia Swarming the American Hive #2

The following blog post is an updated version of my previous post. After further researching Asian Immigration on the Angel Island website, I learned more about the hardships that the immigrants faced while they attempted to move to America. On another website, I learned more about the hardships of Asian Immigrants in America outside of the farm. They weren't just discriminated against at work, everywhere they went, they were attacked or harassed by white Americans. The Angel Island website was very helpful when it came to learning more about the immigration process. It also helped me to understand why there was so little information about Asian immigration from countries outside of China. There is much historians don't know about those immigrants, and they're still looking for information. I have adjusted and added more information to my post.
*any blue text is information that was not in the original blog post*

Key Terms

• The Office of the Superintendent of Immigration-formed in 1891 to decide who was or was not fit to settle in America
• Restrictive Covenants-agreements among homeowners not to sell real estate to certain groups of people (African Americans, Mexicans, Asian Americans, Jews)
• Chinese Exclusion Act-1882 congress prohibited Chinese laborers from entering country unless they had previously established residence, not repealed until 1943
• Pictures Brides- when told no one could immigrate unless they had family in America, Japanese would arrange daughters' marriages to Japanese men already in US
• Blood Unions-groups Japanese workers organized themselves into based on their ethnic membership, went on strike and protested for equal treatment and wages between races
• Contracting Land- allowed Asians, especially Japanese to rent land, pay off owner with their profits and hopefully earn enough to buy the land for themselves
• Webb Alien Land Law-banned non-citizen Asians from owning farmland
• Angel Island- On the west coast, wooden buildings that met immigrants from Australia and New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, Russia, and in particular, Asia.
• Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)- currently, Bureau of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), in control of enforcing the Chinese Exclusion Act, invoked fear and loathing in the community

2-3 Enduring Statements

1. When people who are of a different race, ethnicity or economic situation move to an area populated by more powerful people who do not understand them, they are thrown to the bottom of the social hierarchy.

• Some areas demanded that Japanese and Korean children attend a different schools (America: Pathways to the Present pg. 532)
• Asian immigrants came from west coast ports, they differed greatly from Americans and white immigrants so they were made targets of suspicion and hostility (America: Pathways to the Present, pg 531)
• Because they were not white, Asians were denied the right to be made a citizen of the United States (A Different Mirror)
• On mainland in particular Japanese were refused services like haircuts and people refused to employ them, becoming a farmer who owned their own land in America became the dream, but had to contract land by agreeing to plant certain crops then give a certain amount of profit to land's actual owner once crop was sold, after renting and earning money/paying off the true owner, they hoped to own the land (A Different Mirror pg 252)
• Even second generation, who were born in America were discriminated against, people threw rocks at them called them names and despite their access to education and completion of schooling, only 25% between 1925 and 1935 actually had jobs for which they had schooled and trained for (A Different Mirror pg. 259)
• 1904 the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association restricted skilled positions to American citizens, Asians were not white and therefore could not be legalized citizens, they were stuck with labor intensive jobs, no one could earn much money unless they were white and they weren't respected, called by number instead of a name (A Different Mirror, pg. 239-240)
• 1913 non-citizen Asia s were banned from owning land (America: Pathways to the Present, pg 532)

2. Even after those with little power take extreme actions to get their voices heard, their requests are rarely fulfilled by those who truly hold the power in the community.

• Asian immigrants  accepted low wages, the more came, the lower wages dropped and companies hired them over Americans(America: Pathways to the Present, pg 531)
• When Japanese workers asked for their wages to be raised, their employees sent for more Korean workers meant to drive the Japanese out. When Korea heard of their people being mistreated, they cut off emigration to the US, so US started hiring from the Philippines (A Different Mirror, pg. 238)
• Japanese had to protest or go on strike because of unfair wages, harsh working conditions (A Different Mirror, pg. 242)
• Strike of 1909 by Japanese workers in Hawaii, in 1919 Japanese Federation of Labor and the Filipino Federation of Labor submitted demands to Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association, wanted higher wages, shorter days, insurance for retirees and paid maternity leave, both Federations decided to work together and both races went on strike (A Different Mirror pg 244)
• Rather than listening to this united front, the planters' association bribed the leader of the Filipino Federation into ending his temporary alliance with the Japanese Federation. This way they didn't have to listen to either federation and raise wages. Workers would just return to their jobs (A Different Mirror pg. 245)

3. A new place can attract people to it for many reasons, but often, people who travel there don't know the big picture and the journey there can be even more grueling than the previous conditions under which the people were living, thanks to the people in power who enforce the laws.

• The job of enforcing the Chinese Exclusion Act was placed on the INS, it invoked fear and loathing in the community and had a lasting impact on the future generations (AIISF, Life on Angel Island)
• Part of the Exclusion Act included a full medical exam. It was humiliating for most Asians and consequences were severe if they failed the exam. They would be hospitalized at their own expense (they'd have to pay for it and none of them had any money) or deported. (AIISF, Life on Angel Island)
• Chinese Exclusion act allowed only merchants, clergy, diplomats, teachers and students to come to America. Many Chinese immigrants had to buy fake identities in order to immigrate as children of exempt classes or children of native. This cost them a great deal seeing as they already had no money to spare. (AIISF, Life on Angel Island)
• In order to prevent those with fake identities from entering the States, immigrants were interrogated for several hours, even days. They were asked about minute details of their lives that only people who were true to their identities would know the answer to. Their relatives living in the states were called upon to help figure out if their answers were true. It was important to memorize these details for life because of identity card checks on streets or if a family wanted to return to China then back to the States. (AIISF, Life on Angel Island: Interrogations)
• Immigrants were locked down for 24 hours a  day while waiting to be interrogated. Public health officials had stated that the  barracks were a firetrap. The food was barely edible, recreation or time allowed outside was limited. The conditions were so awful that some demanded to be returned to China on the next boat out. There were rumors of those scheduled for deportation committing suicide. (AIISF, Poetry on Barrack Walls)
• Immigrants carved poetry into the barrack walls as a testimony to their suffering. They wrote of their aspirations, their anger and sadness at the injustice of their initial reception by America. (AIISF, Poetry on Barrack Walls)

The hardships of Asian Immigrants began the second they bought their ticket to America. Little to no immigrants had the money to buy their ticket. They assumed that they would be able to pay off their debt once they got to America. They had been told that they could become rich working in America. But, before they could start paying off their debt, they had to get to America. The most affordable tickets were in the steerage, where restroom facilities were limited, food  was nearly inedible and rats infested every corner. It was easy to get sick in such close, unsanitary quarters. After surviving a grueling journey, immigrants got off the ship on Angles Island. Rather than feeling relief, they would have felt nervous. Angel Island was often seen as the hardest part of immigrating. In order to pass into America, Asians had to go through a series of exams and interrogations. Should they fail any aspect of these exams, they were hospitalized at their own expense, or immediately deported. Due to the Chinese Exclusion Act, no man or woman from China was allowed to come to America unless they were merchants, clergymen, diplomats, teachers students or had previously established residence in America. In order to enforce this law, the INS made every immigrant undergo an interrogation that tested the truthfulness of their story and identity. While waiting to be interrogated, they were locked in barracks on the island. They were lonely, starving and miserable in these barracks. Some wrote poetry on the walls, for example, "Don't say that everything within is Western styled./ Even if it is built of jade, it has turned into a cage." Everything in America seemed so good to the people trying to get there, but it they were not as free or as happy as they had hoped to be. Once they got to America, they had to find a job. However, few places were willing to hire or serve Asians. As shown in the image to the right, they were discriminated against because they were different and their traditions were seen as "heathenish." Once they found a job, they weren't treated fairly. They were paid less than whites, and sometimes, their employers conveniently "forgot" to pay them. It took large strikes and hard work for Asian workers in America to have their voices heard. America was no where near as glamorous and easy-going as it seemed to those who immigrated there.

Asia Swarming the American Hive #1

In Mrs. Gallagher's Honors History 10 class, we are working on a project that analyzes how "people, places and power" affected different events in America. People and their actions shape the events. They can identify with one side of what is occurring and form/join groups based on a common interest to achieve a common goal. Places are the regions, countries or cities that can determine things like economic options and cultures through geography and resources. Power is determined through ownership of businesses, money, and even people. Power is often what shapes a community. Those who hold it run the area they live in. Other people are subject to them and their beliefs and decisions. It was my job to figure out how these three ideas factored into Asian Immigration.

Key Terms

• The Office of the Superintendent of Immigration-formed in 1891 to decide who was or was not fit to settle in America
• Ghettos-area (usually in urban neighborhoods) where one ethnic or racial group dominated
• Restrictive Covenants-agreements among homeowners not to sell real estate to certain groups of people (African Americans, Mexicans, Asian Americans, Jews)
• Transcontinental Railroad-finished in 1869 by a quarter million Chinese workers
• Chinese Exclusion Act-1882 congress prohibited Chinese laborers from entering country unless they had previously established residence, not repealed until 1943
• Pictures Brides- when told no one could immigrate unless they had family in America, Japanese would arrange daughters' marriages to Japanese men already in US
• Blood Unions-groups Japanese workers organized themselves into based on their ethnic membership, went on strike and protested for equal treatment and wages between races
• Contracting Land- allowed Asians, especially Japanese to rent land, pay off owner with their profits and hopefully earn enough to buy the land for themselves
• Webb Alien Land Law-banned non-citizen Asians from owning farmland

2-3 Enduring Statements

1. When people who are of a different race, ethnicity or economic situation move to an area populated by more powerful people who do not understand them, they are thrown to the bottom of the social hierarchy.

• Some areas demanded that Japanese and Korean children attend a different schools (America: Pathways to the Present pg. 532)
• Asian immigrants came from west coast ports, they differed greatly from Americans and white immigrants so they were made targets of suspicion and hostility (America: Pathways to the Present, pg 531)
• Because they were not white, Asians were denied the right to be made a citizen of the United States (A Different Mirror)
• On mainland in particular Japanese were refused services like haircuts and people refused to employ them, becoming a farmer who owned their own land in America became the dream, but had to contract land by agreeing to plant certain crops then give a certain amount of profit to land's actual owner once crop was sold, after renting and earning money/paying off the true owner, they hoped to own the land (A Different Mirror pg 252)
• Even second generation, who were born in America were discriminated against, people threw rocks at them called them names and despite their access to education and completion of schooling, only 25% between 1925 and 1935 actually had jobs for which they had schooled and trained for (A Different Mirror pg. 259)
• 1904 the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association restricted skilled positions to American citizens, Asians were not white and therefore could not be legalized citizens, they were stuck with labor intensive jobs, no one could earn much money unless they were white and they weren't respected, called by number instead of a name (A Different Mirror, pg. 239-240)
• 1913 non-citizen Asia s were banned from owning land (America: Pathways to the Present, pg 532)

2. Even after those with little power take extreme actions to get their voices heard, their requests are rarely fulfilled by those who truly hold the power in the community.

• Asian immigrants  accepted low wages, the more came, the lower wages dropped and companies hired them over Americans(America: Pathways to the Present, pg 531)
• When Japanese workers asked for their wages to be raised, their employees sent for more Korean workers meant to drive the Japanese out. When Korea heard of their people being mistreated, they cut off emigration to the US, so US started hiring from the Philippines (A Different Mirror, pg. 238)
• Japanese had to protest or go on strike because of unfair wages, harsh working conditions (A Different Mirror, pg. 242)
• Strike of 1909 by Japanese workers in Hawaii, in 1919 Japanese Federation of Labor and the Filipino Federation of Labor submitted demands to Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association, wanted higher wages, shorter days, insurance for retirees and paid maternity leave, both Federations decided to work together and both races went on strike (A Different Mirror pg 244)
• Rather than listening to this united front, the planters' association bribed the leader of the Filipino Federation into ending his temporary alliance with the Japanese Federation. This way they didn't have to listen to either federation and raise wages. Workers would just return to their jobs (A Different Mirror pg. 245)

Beginning in the mid-1800s, immigrants from all over Asia started moving to the United States. Like anyone else moving to new place, they experienced a period of adjustment, to the new culture, language, people and customs. However, they also experiences racism to an extent that no other immigrants had to face. Those who held the power in America were reluctant to allow them into their country. They didn't want Asians taking their jobs or corrupting their children. Therefore, Asian immigrants were tossed to the bottom of the social hierarchy. Not only did they have to fight to adjust to a new country, but they had to fight for jobs, common public services and fair treatment and wages. They were forced to go on strike just to have their voices heard. Japanese and Filipino workers went on huge strikes several times over the  extent of 30 years. Each time they simply asked for higher wages and shorter hours, plus common courtesy job benefits given to any white worker, and each time, they were ignored by their white superiors. Those who held the power in America and at the places where Asian immigrants worked made it virtually impossible for 

North or South: Who Killed Reconstruction?

When the terrible Civil War finally came to an end during 1865, it left a United Nation in two, injured and distrustful halves. With the South's economy and pride shattered into pieces and the freedom of former slaves at stake, it was the responsibility of the North to lead the Reconstruction, an era that would help rebuild America's economy and install equal civil rights for all citizens, both black and white. Despite how crucial this time was for the country, it ultimately ended up failing, allowing for unjust treatment of freedmen well into the 20th Century. While both the North and South played a part in this failure, the North can be held responsible for killing the Reconstruction.

The South's attempt to terrorize and threaten freedmen and their advocates, while effective, did not play as large of a role in the downfall of the Reconstruction as the North's actions. Shortly after the war's end, white supremacist groups formed in the South, the most notorious one was known as the Ku Klux Klan. They opposed the Reconstruction and rights for freedmen. These groups took it upon themselves to ensure that blacks did not feel safe exercising their right to vote. Abram Colby, a black member of the Georgia State Legislature, recalls the night the KKK "took [him] to the woods and whipped [him] for three hours or more and left [him] for dead," because he used his vote in Legislature to support the Radical Republican ticket. (Doc B). For three hours straight they beat him, attempting to take his freedom of speech from him by terrorizing him into voting for the Democratic ticket. (Doc B) This didn't just happen with black government members; the KKK terrorized any freedman trying to vote. The image to the left shows a black man being held at gunpoint by two white men. The caption of the image is "Of course he wants to vote the Democratic ticket." (Doc A) Like many black men throughout the country, he was going to cast his ballot on election day. However, when he got there, a few white supremacists decided to threaten him and force him to vote for the option that would best suit them, not him. (Doc B) Southern whites used fear tactics to discourage freedmen from voting and prevent them from exercising their freedom of speech or right to vote.
Blacks weren't the only people targeted by white supremacist groups. They utilized fear tactics and violence to make Northerners who had moved South to aid freedmen (carpetbaggers) and Southerners supported Radical Republicans (scalawags) too scared to continue helping freedmen. According to Albion Tourgee, former Northern soldier and a carpetbagger, government officials and supporters of the Reconstruction were "foully murdered by the Ku-Klux." (Doc A) He believes that he himself is in danger of being targeted by the KKK. (Doc A) The image to the right, published in the Independent Monitor of Alabama, depicts a mule-- meant to represent the KKK-- hanging two men, a carpetbagger and a scalawag. (Doc A) It shows just how common it was for Klan members to terrorize and kill everyone, including whites, that opposed them and tried to help freedmen maintain their status as citizens with equal rights. As awful and effective as their threats and violence were at discouraging both freedmen and their supporters, they were not the main reason for the downfall of the Reconstruction era. If the North had continued to support the movement they had started, the South would not have prevailed in the way that they did.

The blame for the end of Reconstruction should really fall on the North because of their distractedness and indifference towards the freedmen's cause. Despite their successful efforts to eliminate slavery, the North remained racist, making it easier for them to lose faith in the freedmen's cause. An image published in Harper's Weekly, shows what the illustrator imagined Southern State Legislatures to be like. (Doc D) Two black men are drawn arguing barbarically and slightly resembling monkeys. (Doc D) The white men in the image look horrified. It is clear that the North remained racist and while they did not think blacks deserved to be enslaved, "the blacks, as a people, are unfitted for the proper exercise of political duties." (Doc D) They did not believe that blacks were fit to run a government. Therefore, they did not support the freedmen in their quest to earn positions in government. Their lack of interest in helping freedmen allowed them to grow, "indifferent to events in the South… many Northern voters shifted their attention to such national concerns as the Panic of 1873 and corruption in Grant's administration." (Doc C) An image published in Harper's Weekly and titled "US  'In For It' I hope I shall get to the bottom soon" depicts President Grant with his head in a barrel, trying to discover the source of the corruption in his administration. (Doc C) The Northern public had lost interest in the goings on of the South. They were more invested in issues like the corruption in President Grant's circle. President Grant himself was too invested in getting rid of this corruption to see

past it and help the freedmen of the South. They did not follow through after helping free the slaves. While their intentions were good, the left blacks to fend for themselves after they had lost interest in their cause. By dropping the responsibilities they had as far as the freedmen went, they ultimately allowed Southern white supremacists to end the Reconstruction era. Therefore, the era's end can be, and should be blamed on the North.

After the end of the Civil War in 1865, came the Reconstruction. It was a time meant to rebuild Southern economy and help freedmen attain their citizenship, fair treatment and equal civil rights. It started off well, when their was still energy behind the North, pushing them to follow through with their victory in the war and continue to help blacks. However, as the South began to use fear tactics, threats and violence to make it harder for Northerners to protect the freedmen, they lost steam. Their racism began to surface again, causing them to lose interest in aiding blacks. They no longer cared so much and they became wrapped up in their own problems, like President Grant's corrupt administration. They failed the men that they freed. The North allowed Southern white supremacists to get away with terrorizing blacks and their supporters. Thus ended the Reconstruction at the fault of the North.

Document A
Text:
Tourgee, Albion. "Letter on Ku Klux Klan Activities". New York Tribune (May 1870).

Image:
"KKK Donkey Hangs Carpetbagger and Scalawag." Cartoon. Independent Monitor. Alabama
               Department of Archives and History, Montgomery, Alabama.

Document B
Text:
Colby, Abram. "Testimony to a joint House and Senate Committee in 1872."

Image:
"Of course he wants to vote the Democratic ticket." Cartoon. Harper's Weekly (Ocyober 21, 1876).

Document C
Text:
Danzer, Gerald.  The Americans. McDougal Littell, 1998.

Image:
"U.S. 'In for it.' I hope I shall get to the bottom soon." Cartoon. Harper's Weekly, 1876.

Document D
Text:
Richardson, Heather Cox. The Death of Reconstruction: Race, Labor and Politics in the Post-Civil
               War North, 1865-1901. Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard University Press, 2001.

Image:
"Northern artist's portrayal of the South Carolina State Legislature during Reconstruction." Cartoon.
               Harper's Weekly, March 14, 1874.

Total War And Turning Points

There were many things that affected the outcome of the Civil War; things such as population, resources, etc. One aspect of the war that is overlooked by those who haven't studied it is, Union Generals such as Grant, Sheridan and Sherman conducted total war in order to gain the upper hand. Total war is when there are no restrictions on whether or not an army can attack and harm civilians or their property. General Grant destroyed railroads, bridges and factories on his way to capture Savannah, Georgia. He burnt down the entire city of Atlanta. While this is undoubtedly cruel and seemingly unnecessary, General Sherman once wrote something that causes people to question whether or not the motives of using total war are entirely selfish and cruel. He said, "War is cruelty. There is no use trying to reform it. The crueler it is, the sooner it will be over." The meaning of this is, people will die either way; the less merciful the army is, the sooner the death and pain will end for the people. The sooner it ends, the sooner the people can begin to rebuild and recover. While total war seems inhumane --people are left homeless and without jobs or transportation-- it is my belief that to some extent, total war is acceptable. As long is the goal is to only disadvantage the enemy, not harm or kill innocent civilians, total war isn't always a bad thing. If it ends the war sooner, total war can cause major turning points in the actual war itself.

An idea of what General Sherman and his troops did while making their way to Savannah, Georgia.

Total war wasn't the only turning point for the Union. One of the biggest moments for them was Gettysburg. In the beginning of the war, the Confederacy was winning in the East. After Gettysburg, the Union and Confederate armies had lost a similar number of men; the Union lost 3,155 and the Confederacy lost 2,600-4,500. Even though this number was similar, this was a seemingly larger number for the Confederacy. They only had 1,200,000 man available to them; the Union had 6,000,000. The South took a huge hit in numbers during that battle. They had been looking for supplies to boost moral during that battle, However, afterwards, their moral was only lowered, giving the Union an upper hand when it came to spirits. Confederate General, Robert E. Lee, sent his president a letter telling him of all the important people they had lost in the war. He sent him another letter again, a month later, saying, "I have seen and heard of expression of discontent in the public journals as a result of the expedition... I therefore, in all sincerity, request Your Excellency to take measures to supply my place. I do this with the more earnestness because no one is more aware than myself of my inability for the duties of my position. I cannot even accomplish what I myself desire. How can I fulfill the expectations of others?" The state of moral had gotten so bad the Robert E. Lee, one of the Confederate's most famous, well-respected generals, was questioning whether or not he could actually win the war for the South.

While all of this was happening in the southern states, the exact opposite was occurring in the Union. When President Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address, he changed the purpose of the war for the Union. Before this battle, it was all about uniting the country, keeping the two, disagreeing halves together. But, now, it is all about equality, freeing the slaves, and making sure the soldiers who die fighting for the Union do not die in vain. He said, "The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us-- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion." He states that those who have died will not die in vain. It is the duty of the Union to pick up their devotion where they left it and continue to fight. He reiterates this and also changes the point of the war saying, "that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain-- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom-- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth." Now, it is the duty of the Union to keep this country alive and reinvent and broaden their meaning of freedom. This raised moral and purpose in the people of the North, giving them even more determination to win the war.

Freeing the Slaves: The Unlikely Heros

When people think of President Abraham Lincoln, they often think of the man who freed the slaves. He's the powerful benefactor and without him, the United States wouldn't live up to their saying, that "All men are created equal." While this is true to some extent, Lincoln wasn't the only one who was responsible for the emancipation of the slaves. What people often don't understand is that their freedom didn't only come from above (those higher in society working to free the slaves and simply giving it to them). It also came from below, slaves worked hard to get what they wanted and what they deserved. How did this happen though? How is it possible for the freedom of slaves to come from two different sources?

It all started when plantation owners in the South began to flee their homes as the a Union advanced deeper into their territory. The owners would leave their slaves behind in order to escape faster. All of a sudden, freed, abandoned and escaped slaves started to show up at Union army encampments. The officers didn't know what to do. They were required by law to turn in escaped slaves, but there were so many of them that had no place to go. General Ambrose E. Burnside wrote to the Secretary of War, describing what was happening and saying, "it would be utterly impossible if we were so

disposed to keep them outside of our lines as they find their way to us through woods & swamps from every side— By my next dispatch, I hope to report to you a definite policy in reference to this matter, and in the mean time shall be glad to receive any instructions upon the subject which you may be disposed to give—." He and his troops couldn't keep out any escaped slaves because they're all over the place. They have no idea what to do in regards to the slaves and their actions. Instances such as this show that the slaves are taking initiative in the process of freeing themselves. They are not being freed by anyone; they are seeing opportunities and using them to escape captivity. It is because of this that Lincoln ends up officially emancipating slaves.

Lincoln expresses his motivations for the war in a letter response to Horace Greeley. He says, "What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union...I intend no modification of my oft-expressed personal wish that all men everywhere could be free." His only motivation for the war is to save the Union and unite it. Despite his personal belief that all men are created equal and deserve to be free, he will only free the slaves if he believes that it will help the Union. While his moral values stood with the slaves, he never stood directly on the slaves' side. However, he does play an important role in freeing the slaves. Without him, they never would've been officially 
emancipated in the eyes of the law.


While Abe Lincoln was important to the process of freeing America's slaves, their freedom truly come from below. It was through their actions and determination that they were able to gain their freedom. 



This is a phot of slaves appearing at a Union encampment after leaving their master's plantation.
http://www.edline.net/files/_yXJhV_/d1a334a11a352b093745a49013852ec4/Docs_XY_Above__Below.pdf