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Slavery During The Civil War
William Lowndes Yancey

American southern
political leader and
“fire-eater” who, in
his later years,
consistently urged the
South to secede in
response to Northern
antislavery agitation.
Confederate States Of America
South Carolina declared it would secede from
the union if Lincoln was elected and did so in
December of 1861.
 These states quickly followed: Alabama,
Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida and
Texas.
 When Lincoln asked for volunteers to answer the
attack on Fort Sumter, Virginia, North Carolina,
Tennessee and Arkansas joined the Confederacy.

New Constitution
The new constitution of the Confederacy clearly
stated why they separated, the right to
preserve African American slavery within
their borders.
 Therefore, the North went to war to preserve
the union, and the white South went to war to
protect slavery.
 Both sides didn’t realize that slaves saw the
conflict as something they could turn to their
advantage.

Slaves – The Fifth Column
The Fifth Column, during a time of conflict, is a
reference to an enemy within. This enemy is sympathetic
to the opposing side and provides help to their cause.
 At first the South thought it could counter the 6 million
to 2 million disparity in soldiers, with slaves doing the
work that would allow more of their men to go to war.
 Slaves bided their time. They waited for the opportunity
to undermine the South whenever possible.
- some deserted when their masters took them as servants
to the war, and then provided good intelligence to the
North.
- With only the woman of the house left to look after the
plantation, slaves slowed their work, refused to obey
orders, went off to other plantations to visit friends and
ran off to join the North.

Three slaves claimed sanctuary at Fort
Monroe, claiming that the South were
going to use them to build fortifications.
 General Benjamin Butler claimed them as
contraband, goods that could be used
against the North.
 Thus Butler used the South’s claim of
slaves as property against them.
 When word got out, slaves poured into the
area of the fort, reaching 25,000. Many
fought on behalf of the union.
 From then on, escaped slaves were
referred to as contraband by the North.

Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln concluded that emancipation had to be a
union war goal and it was proclaimed in January
of 1863. However, it did not legally free a single
slave.
 To end slavery would require a constitutional
amendment, which was ratified as the thirteenth
amendment in 1865.
 By proclaiming that emancipation of southern
slaves was the goal of the north, Lincoln
silenced his abolitionist critics, kept foreign
powers from getting involved and most
importantly, energized slaves into action.

Blacks and Their Role in the War
At first, ironic as it was, the war was
considered a white man’s war and blacks
were not allowed to enlist.
 Frederick Douglas and other
abolitionists demanded that blacks be
allowed to serve.
 With the emancipation proclamation and
many union defeats, recruitment of blacks
was permitted.

Frederick Douglas

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

Freed from slavery with his gift
of gab.
Served as the U.S. minister to
Haiti.
Represented the moral
conscience of 19th century
America.
"Once let the black man
get upon his person the
brass letter, U.S., let him
get an eagle on his button,
and a musket on his
shoulder and bullets in his
pocket, there is no power
on earth that can deny that
he has earned the right to
citizenship."
th
54
Massachusetts Regiment
The Louisiana Regiment
Canadian Blacks and the War
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About 30,000 Canadian blacks took the
underground railway in reverse and joined the
union army.
Josiah Henson and Osborne Anderson recruited
men from Canada west to serve in black union
regiments.
The Elgin Settlement alone provided seventy
men.
All together some 186,000 blacks from all over
North America enlisted.
The Confederacy also eventually employed
blacks, presenting the horrible irony of free
Aftermath
The war depopulated Canada of its black
population.
 In the 35 year period after the war, 60-70% of
the blacks in Canada left.
 At the same time, white Canada petitioned the
government to close our border to black war
refuges and freed slaves.
 Campaigns were launched to repatriate blacks to
the US and restrict their access to public
schools.

More generally accepted reasons for the
blacks leaving include hope surrounding
reconstruction, reunification with family
and friends and just going back to their
homes.
 By 1901, there were fewer than 18,000
blacks in Canada, most of whom were
under 21 yrs. Old.
 When the Civil War ended, so did
Canada’s policy of providing a safe haven
for blacks.
