Freedom from Above or Below

     To begin this lesson, the whole class was divided into groups in order to analyze a specific document. After we reviewed the document assigned to us we had to find a cutie that represents the following categories; Goal of war, Position on freeing slaves, and Evidence of personal feelings towards slavery. My group had The Open Letter to Horace Greeley 1862, for the goal of war ur group chose the quote, "My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union and is not either to save or to destroy slavery." For position on free slaves we chose, "If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that." And lastly, for evidence of personal feelings towards slavery we chose, "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." After discussing our document with the class the other groups presented their documents and the quotes they chose to represent the three topics.

      After discussing our documents we watched a video on the effects of the Emancipation Proclamation. It is clear that the confederates had no European support through out the war because they themselves have already abolished slavery, so by supporting the Confederate army they would be supporting a policy  that they have already band in their own country. The Sothern’s responded to this document by coming to the conclusion that this war was officially about slavery, even though not one slave was freed after this proclamation. They also realize now that they won't be getting any European support through out the entire war. They responded by not freeing slaves, but instead knowing that they are now on their own. Overall, this proclamation gave the Civil War a more meaningful purpose.

      Lastly our group was given a new document to help us understand and answer the essential questions; "Who 'gave' freedom to enslaved Americans? Did freedom come from above or below? To what extent were Abraham Lincoln's actions influenced by the actions of enslaved Americans?" Our document was called, “Slaves from the plantation of Confederate President Jefferson Davis arrive at Chickasaw Bayou, Mississippi,” 1863. In this primary source, it shows slaves leaving the plantation and walking to the Chickasaw Bayou, but soldiers are there when they arrive. Since the former slaves are now considered to be free men, they are not sure what to do so they take action by bothering the Union army to the point were the Union needs to address the problem. I believe that this image is giving freedom from below because the slaves are making a nuisance of themselves so that the people above are forced to address the problem. They do this since they have absolutely noting to do, the North can't send them back into slavery.

      Along with this image and the after effects of the Civil War in general I do believe that freedom came from below. Even though the Union army fought a bloody war in order for the African Americans to obtain freedom, they were later forced to deal with the aftermath of these freed slaves, which shows how the freedom came from below.