Life before and after the Emancipation Proclamation was very different in the lives of African American slaves at the time of its implementation. Before the Emancipation Proclamation was initiated by President Abraham, African Americans were considered less than human, considered property, mistreated, and endured various hardships. Newly freed slaves would continue to experience such things even after the proclamation. Slaves did not have all the privileges and freedoms that white people had and that we have today. In contrast to this, one could see what their lives were like after the Emancipation Proclamation and in the years following the Civil War. Because once the war ended and the Emancipation Proclamation was established, African Americans could now live independently and lead almost normal, productive lives. But even after the Civil War, black people continued the long, hard struggle for their freedoms and rights. In this essay I will give a brief overview of the Civil War, the lives of slaves before the war, the events leading up to this historical incident, the Emancipation Proclamation and its significance, the life of a slave after the war. Emancipation Proclamation and what slavery means to our society today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayThe American Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865, was fought between what was known as the Union , the North and the Confederacy, the South. America had fought for its independence from Britain several years before. Now it was time for African Americans to also fight for their independence and break the yoke of servitude in which their captors had held them for so long. The Union was against slavery and wanted to abolish it, while the South fought to maintain it. The Civil War arose from the concept of slavery. Southern states viewed the abolition of slavery as a violation of their rights and was unconstitutional. But the Civil War wasn't just about slavery. Other differences and disagreements between the two parties, such as politics and the secession debate, slowly increased the tension that already existed between them. Because the South feared for its rights and believed those rights were being violated by the government's decision to end slavery, it felt the need to respond to protect itself. After all, if the central government acted against the wishes of the South and defied the Constitution, it would soon continue to do so in the future. President Lincoln was elected at this time and even before his inauguration, several states had left the Union. Beginning in January 1861, seven slave states left the Union. The states included: South Carolina, which was the first to secede from the Union and form the Confederacy, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, and Florida. A few months later, Arkansas, Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina would also secede from the Union, bringing the total number of states that had left to eleven. War finally broke out when both sides failed to find a compromise or a solution to their problems. The South continued its rebellion against the Union, which held the nation's central governing body. Several states had seceded from the Union and established their own system and government, dividing the country in two. The war officially began on the morning of April 12, 1861, when the South attacked Fort Sumter, an American fort in South Carolina. Afterhaving long rebelled against the Union, the South had drawn the straw that broke the camel's back and the war had finally begun. The Civil War was just another of the wars that paved the way for the changes the nation would undergo and ultimately led to where we are today. The life of a slave before the Civil War was very different after the war, although things changed. does not begin to improve immediately.Slaves were forced to work long, hard hours in the heat, were poorly fed, beaten, and suffered many other hardships. Some worked on large plantations, toiling in the fields, picking cotton and much more, while others worked on smaller plantations. Some slaves had harsh and brutal masters, while others had masters who treated them like family. But no matter who the slave's master was, the slave was still considered a slave, even though those whose masters were not so harsh received better treatment than those who were not. Slaves had no rights or say in American politics or any other area of ​​America's or their masters' decision-making. Slaves were not even considered people, but property. The Founding Fathers and framers of the Constitution viewed slaves as three-fifths of a person, which is why African Americans were seen and treated as inferior to whites. One of the reasons Africans were selected over all other ethnic groups was allegedly for religious reasons. Perceived as pagans and barbarians in their homeland, whites believed that slavery would “save” them. It would also be easy to kidnap them and enslave them, knowing that they had no support system or anyone who would fight for them. Isolated and left to their own devices, several thousand Africans were forced to board slave ships that would take them to their new home where they would work as slaves. The idea of ​​slavery seemed like the best choice for the growing American economy at that time and was more practical than having indentured servants. Indentured servants often worked for four to seven years and were paid in the form of housing and other necessities. Indentured servants could also regain their freedom after their period of servitude expired. Because slaves could not demand any form of payment like indentured servants could, slavery was chosen as the best option, with Africans being their primary target. The events that led to the Civil War each occurred slowly but continually. In What Caused the Civil War? Reflections on Southern and Southern History, Edward L. Ayers explains how today's Americans describe the Civil War and its causes. He goes on to address the question of how modern Americans view the Civil War. As for the cause of the Civil War, he admits that the short answer is indeed slavery. However, he cautions that it took the interaction of many other factors to turn the tension over slavery into a great civil war. Rather, slavery was “the key catalytic agent of a volatile new mixture of democratic politics and accelerated communication, a chemical process in its complexity and subtlety” (142). These two words, "complexity" and "subtlety," are key terms in Ayers' understanding of the Civil War and all of history.of the South, and he repeatedly warns the reader against settling for “simple explanations for complex problems” (143). .1 Although slavery may have been the central cause of the war, it was not the only cause. Although there are various debates about the specific causes of this great event in history, slavery was only one of many factors that caused the war. The inability of the slave states to find common ground or compromise with the free states caused a clash between the two groups. This divided what was supposed to be the United States and soon after, the tensions that had been building for so long between the North and the South finally boiled over into a great explosion between the United States and itself . This eruption will last four years. The Emancipation Proclamation was instituted on January 1, 1863, by President Lincoln. President Lincoln decided, in the fall of 1862, to fight against slavery. At that time, the political risks of inactivity equaled or exceeded those of appearing reckless and desperate and freed the president to act in accordance with his antislavery principles. On September 22, 1862, he warned the Confederates that unless they ended their rebellion, he would oppose slavery on January 1, 1863, and at the start of the new year he would keep his promise by declaring that “all people held as slaves” in rebel areas “are and will henceforth be free”; he added that "such persons in good condition will be admitted into the armed service of the United States.2 This statement implies that President Lincoln used the concept of the end of slavery as a means of attracting the attention of the South and put an end to his rebellion. Therefore, this also implies that the Civil War was not only about slavery, but also the subjugation of the Confederacy which had rebelled against the United States and started its own agenda. During this period, in every law dealing with slaves and slavery. Congress moved toward freeing slaves and limiting slavery. » Congress also indicated its desire to emancipate various groups of slaves as part of a war policy. » In effect, these laws gave the president the power and duty to seize and free the property, including slaves, of the latter. who were engaged in war against the United States or who were disloyal to the United States. » President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in this legislative context. Given such legislation, President Lincoln could have had the constitutional authority to issue much of the Emancipation Proclamation. under his authority.3 At the time of the Emancipation Proclamation, the nation was now in its third year of engagement with the South in the Civil War. Emancipation itself was a source and symbol of freedom for African slaves, even if they. had a long way to go before they could live a normal life in the country from which they were now free. Although the Emancipation Proclamation freed the South's slaves, freeing slaves was not President Lincoln's original plan or intent in instituting the Proclamation. Realizing that he must maintain the loyalty of the slave-holding border states, President Lincoln declared that his overriding intention was to save the Union, not to free the slaves. In this case, Lincoln's initial concern was to preserve the Union now torn in two. by the question of slavery. Only by resolving this issue can the country be rebuilt. “...the Proclamation had a powerful symbolic effect. This broadened the basis of the war and made it afight for freedom as well as for union. It gave the Northern cause the weight of a moral crusade.5 Thus, the Emancipation Proclamation allowed newly freed slaves to enjoy freedoms that were forbidden to them before being freed, while it did not grant them the privileges or rights that white citizens had. The Reconstruction Era began in 1865, after the Civil War, and lasted until 1877. The Reconstruction Era marked a turning point in history in the lives of newly freed slaves. It was also just the beginning of African Americans' long road to freedom and independence, because after the Civil War, they were still not treated fairly and equally with whites. It is clear that a racist image of Reconstruction as a failure, ignoring the achievements of the era, combined with Jim Crow laws, the violence that accompanied them, lynchings and prisoner leasing, all contributed to the humiliation and terror of African Americans...6 This statement implies that even after the Civil War, African Americans were still mistreated and persecuted. For even if they had been freed, they would pay a high price for their freedom to the angry and enraged South which resisted any form of reconstruction. The post-emancipation period brought freedom and a new way of life to former slaves, but it also brought hardship, persecution, and oppression. But the goal of Radical Reconstruction was to grant equality to African Americans. This goal was not immediately achieved in the years following the Civil War. Radical Republicans sincerely wanted to help former slaves, but they made two serious mistakes. They believed that giving southern blacks a vote would allow them to protect themselves politically. Second, the Radical Republicans, although willing to give millions of acres of land to the railroad companies, were not willing to give land to freed slaves so that they could become economically independent.7 This statement itself shows how blacks were unable to become completely independent. independent although they are free and able to do and go wherever they wish. They would continue the long, hard fight before their hopes and dreams came true. Because even if they were finally free, African Americans would still suffer from what the war had left behind. The defeat of the Confederacy brought freedom, but also uncertainty. Without education or employment, those freed faced persistent poverty.8 Many lost their lives, experienced hardship, and were mistreated during the struggle. Yet they all stood their ground and fought bravely. It is individuals like these who have made the most impact on history and who are still heroes today. The Reconstruction Era, a consequence of America's War within America, was the second period in which America experienced restructuring, the first being the Revolution. America would continue this restructuring process even after the Reconstruction Era ended. Even though the war was over, it had left a disastrous mark, which would take some time to clean up. Many lives were lost on both sides during this bloody and horrible war. Towns and villages desolate and in ruins, with bodies strewn everywhere. The North won the war, but it paid a high price. Yet the South was now defeated and they finally gave up and surrendered. Lincoln later pardoned the South and the nation was unified again. The end of the civil war may have brought an end to?