matthew mckeon
Guest
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2005
Couple of points:
In Freedom National, the author describes Kentuckians, some in the Union army, working against the emancipation measures being ordered from Washington. So some Union soldiers were at least trying to preserve slavery.
However, since 1861, the Federal government had been undermining slavery pretty consistently, with the "contraband" policy, the Confiscation Acts, and so on. The EP is more of a significant step, rather than a 180 degree turn in policy.
If Union troops were fighting for slavery, they were doing it wrong.
In Freedom National, the author describes Kentuckians, some in the Union army, working against the emancipation measures being ordered from Washington. So some Union soldiers were at least trying to preserve slavery.
However, since 1861, the Federal government had been undermining slavery pretty consistently, with the "contraband" policy, the Confiscation Acts, and so on. The EP is more of a significant step, rather than a 180 degree turn in policy.
If Union troops were fighting for slavery, they were doing it wrong.