Civil War Dehumanization

A hundred and fifty six years ago, our nation was engaged in a Civil War. This war embodied a conflict that had enveloped the country since its discovery; the issue of slavery. Since the establishment of the first ever American colony Jamestown, the nation’s elite have imported Africans to America as their slaves. As the years went by, the frequency at which they were brought and the cruelty with which they were treated only increased. The slave trade brought wealth to thousands, but in turn brought suffering to millions. The industry’s high profitability and tremendous production rate proved to be vital to the economy of the American South. Despite this, many in the North were aware of dehumanization that was occurring, and the mass suffering …show more content…
They were a group that was extremely willing to fight, possibly even more than their white counterparts, yet their service was viewed as inferior. They were fighting in a war that would free their race indefinitely, whilst still under the microscope of extreme racism in their country. They were fighting for a country that was also fighting against them. And although they fought with passion, patriotism, and valor, they were still second class soldiers. They faced adversity like no other, and were always viewed as lesser in every sense. They fought and gave their lives for their country like everyone else, but constantly fell victim to discrimination and unequal …show more content…
Whites remained the priority in the nation at the time. It was only until white volunteers started to dwindle that African Americans were welcomed into the army. With racism still extraordinarily prominent within the United States, it was inevitable that these soldiers would face discrimination. Avila reported that “African Americans soldiers encountered much discrimination. They served in strictly segregated units led by white officers, many of whom were reluctant to promote African Americans because they feared that white soldiers of lower rank would not take orders from black superiors" Furthermore, white officers gave most African Americans non-combat jobs on the simple premise that blacks were not fit for combat. In addition, there was general confusion regarding the status of these men. For example, there was much debate over whether fugitive slaves that enlisted should be considered free, or if northerners were obligated to return them to their rightful owners. Prominent New Hampshire politician Benjamin Butler said this in an 1861 journal entry, "The first question, however, may perhaps be answered by considering the last. Are these men, women, and children slaves? Are they free? Is their condition that of men, women, and children, or of property, or is it a mixed relation? What their status was under the Constitution and