A slave ship was commodified by indigenous African people, who were later sold into slavery in different parts of America. The individuals held in slavery endured cruel treatment for many years, including being tortured and discriminated against by the whites. However, post the American Civil war, there was a surge in demands to end to the horrific practice, and to some measure, it was diminished. Therefore, in moments of desperation, it is necessary to take spontaneous acts, which often can lead to the desired outcomes.
The lack of success in the Civil War called pressure on Abraham Lincoln’s regime, prompting him to take action. During the Civil War, much of Sothern America needed reinforcement. Lincoln began to draft African Americans and enslaved people into a military regiment. Given Lincoln’s nature of being lenient and conservative, he began to fulfill enslaved rights. As a result, President Abraham Lincoln announced the Emancipation Declaration on January 1, 1863, which issued all enslaved people not to return to America. Since the nation’s establishment, the period saw the most open and extensive debates about democracy (Locke & Wright, Chapter 15).
The need for Reconstruction called for collective responsibility in refurbishing America. As such, African-Americans and radical Republicans pushed the country to fully fulfill the declaration of Independence’s assertions of Lincoln’s notions that “all men are created equal” and had certain inalienable rights. White Democrats allowed African Americans only legal liberties. When African-Americans and their revolutionary supporters secured citizenship for emancipated people, a new battle began to clarify American citizenship’s constitutional, political, and social ramifications (Locke & Wright, Chapter 15).
Generally, slavery restoration of the Union was the most important objective of Reconstruction in the United States, fulfilling Abraham Lincoln’s fervent wish for slavery abolition. In this sense, his Emancipation was an ideal declaration that played a crucial role in freeing enslaved people. Thus, the war and its aftermath permanently abolished legal slavery in America; however, African Americans were still second-class citizens, and, to date, they still fight for an all-inclusive America.
Reference
Locke J. L. & Wright B. (2019). The American Yawp: A massively collaborative open U.S. history textbook. vol. 2 since 1877. Stanford University Press