American History

When the United States was in developing phase, the conflict between the states had reached at a critical condition. Partition of the America in 1861 was the consequence of this conflict. According to several people slavery was the focal cause behind this separation. On 8 February 1861, seven southern states of America made a decision to become separate from the Union and Jefferson Davis was elected as named President of these states. The group of these seven states was known as Confederate States of America. This dissolution of the Union led America towards the American Civil War, one of Americas most dreadful and bloody wars.

Attack of the Confederates on Fort Summer gave a start to the war. Condition of the blacks in America was terrible at that time. There was a ban on the blacks that they cannot be a part of military. After the American Revolution slavery had been ended in the northern part, but it was continued in the southern part of America. At that time agriculture was main occupation in America and cotton was such type of crop which was in demand around the world. Atmosphere of southern part was suitable for this crop, but it was a difficult plant to process and take care. Thats why blacks are used as slaves for this crop as well as for some other cash crops like sugar, and rice.

Slavery had become a part of the blacks till that time. Blacks were treated as slaves since the colonial period. Businessmen from the south part of America were dependent on the slave for their factories and farms. Slavery in the southern part was not illegal it was protected by state laws as well as Federal laws. But there were some people in the northern part who didnt accepted this system and stand against this system to abolish slavery in the whole America. They were called abolitionists. Abolitionists were not liked by the people of the Southern states. This had become a big reason of the partition of America in two parts which finally led America to the Civil War. Some blacks were free and some were slaves who were looking for freedom. The situation for American Blacks was very difficult. Some blacks were fighting for their freedom, some were fighting for loyalties and some were in the support of their owner with an unknown reason.

There were many abolitionists at that time who were fighting for the freedom of black slaves. Frederick Douglass was one of the most respected abolitionists of that time. Imagine living in a condition where drinking water from a wrong fountain may take you into jail where men were treated as animals where a man get too much less payment for the same work that is done by others, just because of the color of his skin. It sounds like a movie. But for Frederick Douglass it was a reality. Instead of accepting this system of white American government, Douglass refused this system and fought against this system. Actually Douglass was also a slave in the early stages of this life. His experience as a slave gave inspiration to fight for other slaves. He fought not only for African Americans, but also fought for Irish Americans. Role of the Douglass during the American Civil War was extremely significant. He made lots of efforts to make America slavery free and fought for the right of equity.

Frederick Douglass, the person who is known for freedom for American slavers, was born into slavery. His father was not slave, but his mother was black and she was a slave. His father was white man, who was possibly the owner of his black mother but it is not sure that who was his father When he came into this world probably in 1818, the relationships between whites and blacks were in worst condition. Government laws were in the support of slavery and according to these laws whites were not allowed to teach blacks, even blacks are not allowed to go to school. Frederick Douglass learned reading by his owners wife. After taking the basic knowledge of reading, Douglass learned a lot by using his observing and analytical power and developed his writing  reading skills. After a long time Douglass made himself free from slavery and became a free sailor. After achieving freedom Douglass was thinking to make free other black slaves and then he started his mission. He chooses news paper and books for this purpose. He sharpened his reading and writing skills to transfer his message to the people.

After this Douglass had become a member of a black church in New Bedford, Massachusetts and started attending abolitionist gathering. There he met to the most famous abolitionist of that time, William Lloyd Garrison. Douglass got impressed by a weekly abolitionist newspaper The Liberator, published by Garrison. When Douglass first time attended the speech given by the Garrison against the slavery, he got influenced by this speech. Then he met to Garrison and Garrison asked him to give speech at the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Societys annual convention. From this place voice of the Douglass had become a public voice against the slavery and he started his career as an abolitionist. He had become a most popular and respected abolitionist of America very soon. For giving support to his efforts, he launched a newspaper North Star which was dedicated to the abolition of slavery. Later North Star had been merged with Gerrit Smiths Liberty Party Paper. It was published until the start of American Civil War, 1860s.

Smith and Lysander Spooner made agree to Douglas that the Constitution of America was an anti-slavery document. Earlier his belief was that Constitution was pro-slavery. It was the most notable incident in the abolitionist movement which created a gap between two abolitionists Douglass and Garrison, because according to Garrison Constitution supports for slavery. Garrison burned the copies of the document in the public to convey his opinion. Douglas wrote about his opinion in his news paper North Star. Garrison was worried with the success of North Star, which was giving a great competition to his own National Anti-Slavery Standard. This modification in Douglas opinion brought a great change in the movement. Douglas wanted to use Constitution as a tool in the fight against slavery.

First womens rights convention which is known as Seneca Falls Convention was attended by the Douglass as only African American. In this convention the proposal of giving right to women for vote had been raised, but many of the present members opposed that idea. Then Douglass spoke in the favor of this proposal. He told that there should be equal rights to everyone. Color of the skin or gender should not be taken into account. His words made a mind change and that proposal had been passed.

Many candidates came into the picture during the election of 1860 and Democrats had been divided into two parts. One group with Vice President John Breckinridge was supporting slavery and other group with Abraham Lincoln was opposing to the spread of slavery into new territories. Two democratic candidates got more votes than the others, but because of the partition of the party Lincoln became the President. This result was not accepted by the southern part and they are blaming abolitionists for such type of partition of the country. Douglass was the major target among all of the abolitionists of the white people of the Southern part. He was a great leader who gave advice to Lincoln to make all the slaves free and take them into armed forces during the war. Two sons of the Douglass were also became the part of the Union forces in the Civil War. It shows his contribution in the freedom of the black slaves. He thought from the countrys point of view, from the humanitys point of view not from the familys point of view. His famous news paper The North Star, which has later changed into The Douglass Monthly during the American Civil War, played a vital role in the war.

At that time country was waiting for president to respond, but the response of the Lincoln made Douglass a little bit disappointed because his primary priority was to reassemble the Union, not the end of slavery. In 1861, Confederate States fired on Fort Sumter. It was the point from where war took a deadly and bloody shape. Lincoln called all the states of north and made big troop of 22 million with 4 million slaves of 23 states on the advice of Douglass against 9 million people of 11 states of south. It was the first time when slaves became a part of armed forces. North part of the country was fighting to protect the Union and the South was fighting for the set up a nation that give right to make a person slave. But for Douglass and other abolitionists this was a war to end the slavery system and give the right of equity to the black slaves.

Now there were only two targets in the mind of Douglass for which he was fighting, first and most important goal was freedom of black slaves and the second one was entry of black slaves into the army of north. As war was moving, number of supporters of Douglass thoughts was increasing. He met to the President Lincoln for passing a bill to grant freedom for slaves. After this meeting President signed a bill in 1862. But approval of this bill was very slow. Douglass kept continue his efforts through news paper and speeches. He was continuously supporting the statement that main goal of the war must be the end of slavery system and black must be permitted to join the army for their freedom. The war was going on and still no final victory achieved to the North. Then President realized that there was a need to take strong actions against the Confederacy. For fulfilling this purpose in 1862, Lincoln decided to pass a bill related to the emancipation of the black slaves in the Confederate states as soon as north army won a major battle. In September 1862 northern army got a major victory in a dreadful battle of Antietam in Maryland. After this victory on 31 December 1862, Lincoln on the advice of Douglass issued Emancipation Proclamation and declared that next day all the slaves of the states not held by union troops will be free. But the slavery was still there in the Border States and the states captured by South. Nevertheless, this effort of Lincoln and Douglass made many blacks free from slavery.

In the night 31 December 1862, when proclamation was declared, Douglass was in Boston and was glad with the death of slavery system. Now his next aim was the entry of blacks in the nations army, hence they could fight for the freedom of remaining slaves. In 1863, congress allowed the entry of blacks in Union army and the first black troop was formed that is known as the Massachusetts 54th Regiment. Help of Douglass had been taken in the recruitment. He published an article in the news paper related to recruitment of blacks in the armed forces. His two sons Lewis and Charles were among the first who join that unit.

Douglass promised in his speeches that blacks will be treated equally in the army, but they were not treated equally by the whites in the army. Blacks had to do same work which is done by the whites at half payment. Inferior weapons were given to black soldiers and training was also not given properly. Opportunities of promotions were not for blacks they could not become officers. When Douglass got the information about the condition of black in army, he stopped his efforts for recruitment. He wrote about these conditions in his articles. Then he met to the President and expressed his concerns about the treatment which is done by the officers and Confederate captors with the blacks. Lincoln promised that he will try to make some changes in near future. But Douglass was not satisfied with his response. Then he decided to start recruitment again and after some time his brother joined his in the recruitment procedure. More than 20000 blacks had joined the army till that time.  These soldiers proved themselves and made an important place in the army.

Till 1864, almost all the blacks had become free with the help of the efforts of Douglass. Now Douglass was thinking about the future of blacks and about the right of the equality for blacks. Douglass attended a meeting of abolitionists, who were also antislavery members of the Republican Party. These were known as radical Republicans. For a short period of time Douglass gave his support to Republican Party, but later he came back to the Lincoln. In 1864, Douglass and Lincoln again met and Lincoln told that I have to sign a peace with the Confederacy and leave slavery intact to stop the war. After this Lincoln again won the reelection. Douglass went on a visit of Maryland and areas in the control of Virginia. Where he gave lectures and again came back to north. He attended Lincolns second inaugural ceremony. He was feeling a man among men in that gathering. Douglass was not allowed to attend the evening reception in the White House. But he sent his words about this to the President and quickly he was welcomed by the president. April 9, 1865 was the day on which Civil War ended.

Three Amendments were passed for improving the condition of the blacks in the United States. These were 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendment. Slavery was banned everywhere in the United States by 13th Amendment. Citizenship and equal protection were provided by 14th Amendment and 15th Amendment was for providing the right to vote for everyone. All these things became possible just because of efforts of Douglass during the Civil War. Douglass brought a new era for blacks in the United States, in which they can live without any constraint. This change was very essential for the growth of United States of America.