Civil War The Role Of Ex-Slaves

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Civil War: The Role of Ex-Slaves After the Civil War

1860 was a critical year in the history of the United States of America. America's position as a country established on principles of freedom had been weakened by slavery. It was an election year and Abraham Lincoln (b. Feb. 12, 1809 - d. April 15, 1865) was nominated for the presidency of the United States, representing the Republican Party. The Democratic Party was divided into two wings - a Northern Wing with Stephen A. Douglas as its candidate and a Southern Wing with John C. Breckinridge as the other candidate for the presidency of the United States.

When Abraham Lincoln took office as President on March 4, 1861 - the United States was a divided country with slavery as the key issue before the nation. In order to preserve the Union, it was inevitable that something had to be done in America. The differences of the states spiraled into America's most dreadful and bloody civil war.

The Civil War (1861-1865)

From the very beginning of the Civil War, both northern Whites and free Blacks came forth to join the Union Army. From the start, both black slaves and freeman regarded the chance to serve in the military as a method for abandoning their chains and to prove their loyalty and worthiness to this nation. For some unknown reasons, some black slaves, chose to remain with their masters and aided them on the side of the Confederacy during the Civil War.

As the bloody war went on, many slaves ran away from their masters and joined the Union Army. Hundreds of these slaves were crossing into Union territory. Soon the separate regiments of all black troops were formed in the military.

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