Slavery in 1860

Maps. I could spend all day analyzing maps, especially ones that detail statistics like this one - showing the concentrations of slavery in 1860. Note the coastal, Piedmont, and river regions. One might also consider how the Emancipation Proclamation affected the institution in a practical sense in January, 1863, or how self-emancipation took hold from the beginning of the war. As Robert Gould Shaw said in early 1863, "Wherever our army has been there remain no slaves, and the Proclamation will not free them where we don't go."

K

Robert Gould Shaw Before the 54th Massachusetts

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

Most Civil War enthusiasts these days are familiar with Robert Gould Shaw. The son of wealthy Boston abolitionists, he enlisted in the Union army as a very young man and served with the 7th New York Infantry, a 30-day unit, and then with the 2nd Massachusetts before his appointment as colonel of the 54th Massachusetts - one of the very first black regiments in the war.

Shaw was immortalized in the film Glory. His enthusiasm for leading a "colored" regiment was a bit overdone in the film - in reality he had declined the offer first suggested by his father in late 1862. As we all know...he eventually reconsidered - and the rest is history (as they say).

Before the war, Shaw's letters home reflect the thoughts of a young patriot - intensely passionate about Union - something that bleeds through (bad metaphor?) in a mostly secondary way in the film. Here is a letter from very early in the war, while Shaw served with the 7th - Stationed in Staten Island.

North Shore S.I. [Staten Island]
Thursday, April 18, 1861

Dearest Mother,

You will probably know when you get this, that the only piece of bad news to greet you when you arrive is that of my departure with the 7th Regt. for Washington. It is very hard to go off without bidding you goodbye, and the only thing that upsets me, in the least, is the thought of how you will feel when you find me so unexpectedly gone.

We all feel that if we can get into Washington, before Virginia begins to make trouble, we shall not have much fighting. We expect to get there on Saturday [April 20]. […] Won’t it be grand to meet the men from all the States, East and West, down there, ready to fight for the country, as the old fellows did in the Revolution?

Our Col. [Marshall Lefferts] tells us we are only going to Washington for the present and shall be sent back to New York as soon as troops from the more distant States can arrive. I feel as if I were not going on anything but an ordinary journey. I can’t help crying a little through when I think of Father & you & the girls. Don’t be too anxious. Please be careful of your health. May God bless you all. When we are all at home together again, may peace & happiness be restored to the Country. The war has already done us good, in making the North so united.

The unit moved on from New York and made their way to Annapolis Maryland and eventually to the defenses of Washington City. Shaw didn't see much action with the 7th, but would fight at Winchester, Ceder Mountain, and Antietam with the 2nd before assuming command of the 54th.

Shaw is somewhat different from the character seen on the screen - my suggestion: read Blue Eyed Child of Fortune, the edited collection of his letters. You will come away with a much more thorough understanding of the man.

Peace,

Keith

Who Freed the Slaves?

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

So - on to the matter at hand. Who freed the slaves? Why that's simple right? It was Abraham Lincoln, the great emancipator.....right? I mean....right?

Not so fast amigos. As usual, thing can get a little more complicated when you look a little closer at the historical record. Oh sure, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation all right, which technically freed all slaves who were (as of January 1, 1863) living in states currently in rebellion. (NOTE: The Emancipation Proclamation did not apply to slaves in the border states - not to mention...the Rebs were not exactly willing to comply with the proclamation, either). As historians like James McPherson note, the Proclamation was a crucial step in a series of actions taken against the institution. But is there more to the story?

Historians like Barbara Fields and Ira Berlin think so. They talk a lot about what they refer to as "self emancipation." Yep - it's exactly what it sounds like. Slaves, not just sitting around waiting to be freed by northern politicians, simply left. That's it. They saw an opportunity and took it. Seeking freedom for themselves, these men and women walked away from the farms and plantations were they had been held in bondage and fled to Union lines. Many of them ended up in contraband camps (more on these later) and thousands would eventually join Union army USCT Units - all black (led by white officers) regiments of fighting men (more on these guys later too).

Well, I am not really one for either/or questions. Of course there is validity to both bottom up and top down analyses of emancipation. Slaves (now former slaves) took action, and, while the Emancipation Proclamation did not really free anyone on day one, it certainly changed the meaning and direction of the war.

But here's some food for thought for a Saturday morning. What about the United States Army? Don't they get any credit? Robert Gould Shaw, immortalized by the film Glory, said it best when he noted in 1863 (insert affected Boston accent here) after hearing of the Proclamation, that it was all well and good but it really made little difference. Writing his mother - "For my part I can't see what practical good it can do now. Wherever our army has been, there remain no slaves, and the proclamation won't free them where we don't go."

So, while presidential proclamations and self emancipation were significant aspects of the demise of slavery in the South, without the army...nada. Remember - the slaves held in places that saw no pronounced military presence (like Alabama and Texas) remained slaves until the end of the war.

So with that I will sign off until Monday - Please leave a comment whether you agree with me or not. I promise to be nice :)

Peace,
Keith