The Civil War... The Effect on Slaves...

In order to keep peace between the South and the North they formed groups or Unions to fight in the Civil War. First of all they made a plan called the Anaconda Plan to defeat the north. In addition, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation so blacks (slaves) can fight in the civil war “General Winfield Scott, he devised a strategy that came to be known as the Anaconda Plan.” For example there was a large number of slaves in the Union. Finally at the end of the war the North won and there was no more slavery. But, during the civil war slaves played a dramatic part, they were soldiers, some died and lost their families and they were fighting for their freedom. They were dehumanized and some were taken away from their families to fight.
During the slave trade, millions of Africans became involuntary immigrants to the New World. They were taken from there home, country and families to be enslaved far away from their homes and families. They were brought on a boat to the south to work for white slave owners, day in and day out! Africans would work long hours without any pay. In a picture in Why Documents Matter pg. 17, it was slaves on a boat and it looked as if they didn’t want to be on the boat. Slaves were also fighting the white men.
Lincoln’s election led to secession and secession to the war. When the union soldiers entered the south, slaves fled from their owners to the union camps. There was a large amount of slaves wanting to be soldiers for the union; since there was two many soldiers, some had to return back to their slave owners in the south. Also the social and economic differences between the north and the south set the stage for the war. It was the impact of slavery on the political side during the 1850s, which led to the civil war. The south relied on the cultivation of cotton while the north was driven by industrialization. The north did not rely on slavery like the south. So the civil war started for a variety of social, economic and political factors.


On January 1, 1863 after Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation black soldiers (slaves) were officially allowed to participate in the civil war. When Abraham Lincoln sent out the Emancipation Proclamation, Henceforth the soldiers knew that the objective of the war had been expanded to include the freeing of slaves and the end of the “peculiar institution” (Basker and Ahlstrom 21). The Emancipation Proclamation was limited in many ways. It applied only to states that had seceded from the union, leaving slavery untouched in the loyal border-states. It expressly exempted parts of the Confederacy that came under Northern control. The freedom it promised depended upon Union military victory.
However the Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery in the nation, it fundamentally transformed the character of the war. By the end of the war, almost 200,000 black soldiers and sailors had fought for the union freedom. The Emancipation Proclamation confirmed their insistence that the war for the union must become a war for freedom. A soldier wrote his wife a letter telling her “the proclamation is a death blow to slavery, because without doubt a majority of the slave states will be in arms against the Government on the 1st of January 1863.” He was telling her that to let her no that the Emancipation Proclamation was passed. This is found in I take up my pen on pg.23.

Freed blacks including the sons of Frederick Douglass were instrumental in the formation of the unit, made the 54th Massachusetts. The 54th Massachusetts Regiment played a critical role in winning acceptance for black soldiers. On July 18, 1863 the 54th stormed the Confederate defenses at the Fort Wagner, South Carolina. The assault failed, half of the regiment was killed. But the troops fought valiantly and earned the praise of the nation. Sergeant William H. Carney became the first African American to earn the Medal of Honor, the nations highest military award. Newspapers wrote, without the 54th Massachusetts two hundred thousand troops would never have been put in the field. A white officer even said that freedmen (freed slaves) behaved magnificently and fought splendidly. They are far superior in discipline to white troops and just as brave. That goes back to a picture of a poster “Men of color” “Are freemen less brave than slaves” the poster was published in Philadelphia P.A. in 1863. This picture is found in Why Documents Matter pg 31. Since 186,000Africans Americans served in the Union army and 10,000 in the navy, they made up 1 percent of the North’s population, they accounted for nearly 10 percent of the troops. They fought bravely and earned the respect of their white officers. But they were often given the worst jobs and scarcely 100 of them (blacks) rose to the rank of officer (Hart pg.125). The 54th Massachusetts continued to serve throughout the remainder of the war. They fought at Olustee, Florida, Honey Hill, South Carolina and Boykin’s Mills, South Carolina.

Although slaves were soldiers and was fighting for their freedom they stilled faced racism and hostility. During the New York City riots, dozens of African Americans were killed. In the military, blacks were assigned menial tasks like digging ditches. They were given poor weapons and did not receive the same training as the white soldiers. Black soldiers who were captured in the south faced being enslaved or executed rather imprisoned as the white soldiers. Black troops were also paid as laborers not soldiers. When white soldiers were paid 13$ a month, blacks were only paid 10$ a month. In November 1863, black soldiers stacked their weapons and refused to pick them up until they got equal pay. In June 1864, blacks received equal pay because Congress agreed to give blacks the same amount as the whites and then even included back pay.
The Gettysburg address is a three-minute address by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War at the dedication of a national cemetery on the site of the Battle of Gettysburg. The Gettysburg address was words that Abraham Lincoln used at the Soldiers National Cemetery at Gettysburg. This speech was the most famous in history. Abraham Lincoln says in the address, “all men are created equal.” In which he’s trying to say blacks shouldn’t be treated like trash. They should get the same opportunities that whites get. This speech can also be described as a motivational, persuasive and inspirational speech. Lincoln wanted the war to transform, from a war for Union to a war for freedom.
Then theirs the 13th Amendment that states “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude… shall exist within the United States.” So the Amendment was abolishing slavery from the United States, it was passed by Congress on January 31, 1865 and ratified by the states on December 6, 1865.
Abraham Lincoln didn’t want blacks to work hard for no pay, day in and day out. He tried his hardest to keep that from happening anymore. He started the Civil war on blacks behalf. He didn’t want them to have to go threw that for the rest of their lives. If the North wouldn’t of won the Civil War then there would still be slavery until this day. Blacks would still be owned by whites and working their hardest without pay.

The Demerit/Merit system... The students point of view...

First time dress code, 5 demerits. Second time language 10 demerits. Did you touch her? Sexual assault 30 demerits and your parents will be called.
Con High in forced this system called the demerit/merit system. In which it started the year of 2008-09. It was issued to discipline the students.
Some students at Constitution High school like the demerit/merit system and others don’t. In which they want changes and others dont want to chage a thing.
Some students at Constitution High school actually like the demerit/merit system. They say they love it or it’s important to the school and its organized. Hassan Cooper, sophomore at Con High says, “ I really love it. It plays an important roll in our school.” He says this on the count that he gets more merits then demerits. When asked “ Do you think its fair and Why?” he told me “Yes, because I get merit points!” Students may say if he got demerits would he “love” the system so much?
Then theirs other students that attend Con High that disapproves of the system. Freshmen, John Nelson said. “I think its not working. Its not gone change anybody, they (students) are still going to do the same stuff.” When others say it’s a waste of time, students will still miss behave and it’s dumb. With or without the demerit/merit system the kids are gone to continue to talk back to the teachers or come in late etc. John Nelson also says on March 10, 2009, “I think its strict, Ms. Morison didn’t see me today, but I shouldn’t get 5 demerits for a little shavings”, so does the system work?
Changes! Yes, the (students) want changes. They want to get rid of the system, and others wouldn’t change any of the rules, such as the dress police, being on time and etc. Others say they don’t want the system because they get demerits for dumb stuff. Junior Anyea Jewett a student that attend Con High since day one says “No because I feel it’s a waste and so many people can have so many opportunities without them” when asked, “ Since your 3 years do you think we need the demerit/merit system?” when I asked her “would you get rid of the system?” she replied “Yes, because I feel its unfair and I don’t think students should get demerits for being late vs. heavier reasons. It’s still other ways to dealing with students that’s late then the demerit/merit system”.
When Constitution High school issued this thing called the demerit/merit system students didn’t like it and some did. Students wanted to keep it and others don’t. The question everybody is still asking is “Does the system work?”