Divide and conquer, and unite the nation in upholding the union: these were the main motives and strategies utilized during the striking period of the American Civil War (1861-1865). “The South vs. the South: How Anti-Confederate Southerners Shaped the Course of the Civil War”, written by William Freehling, vindicates the logistics and ideas behind this drive from the antebellum apprehensions, all the way through the discourses of war. Combining excellent research and an original theory for the Confederate loss, Freehling’s inimitable style of expression was expertly relayed and thoughtfully insisted, leaving crucial information that will change what we have already known about America’s bloodiest war.
Although a short read, the book should not be overlooked for its insignificant …show more content…
The central focus of ‘black vs white’ is Freehling’s primary premise on what doomed the Confederate States. The willingness of the Union army to utilize contraband runaways as garrison keepers, home guards, military laborers, and cooks, as well as amass a force of black men from conquered territory, added crucial numbers to its ranks. The introduction of this concept was widely disputed, as Freehling notably describes the importance of black soldiers to Grant’s siege below Petersburg, and how Sherman abused the usage of black men as he made his way through the Confederacy. Patience, willpower, and time was needed to make way for acceptance of black men in the army. These soldiers demoralized the Southern population, but the collaboration was a necessary instrument of revolutionary change. This was the escape for many of the enslaved, and they saw the presence of the Union army as liberation (1862-1864). By this time, General Grant declared: “Slavery is already dead and cannot be resurrected” (page 129). The sheer number of men from slave states fighting against the Confederacy resulted in a devastating doom for the
Although a short read, the book should not be overlooked for its insignificant …show more content…
The central focus of ‘black vs white’ is Freehling’s primary premise on what doomed the Confederate States. The willingness of the Union army to utilize contraband runaways as garrison keepers, home guards, military laborers, and cooks, as well as amass a force of black men from conquered territory, added crucial numbers to its ranks. The introduction of this concept was widely disputed, as Freehling notably describes the importance of black soldiers to Grant’s siege below Petersburg, and how Sherman abused the usage of black men as he made his way through the Confederacy. Patience, willpower, and time was needed to make way for acceptance of black men in the army. These soldiers demoralized the Southern population, but the collaboration was a necessary instrument of revolutionary change. This was the escape for many of the enslaved, and they saw the presence of the Union army as liberation (1862-1864). By this time, General Grant declared: “Slavery is already dead and cannot be resurrected” (page 129). The sheer number of men from slave states fighting against the Confederacy resulted in a devastating doom for the