Name: Politics of War Chapter 10, Section 2 USS 10 Hour: Trent Affair Why did Southerners think economics would help the South? Cotton was “King” US South sold cotton worldwide Europe found it in Egypt / India James Mason and John Slidell – Southern diplomats sent to Europe to get support from Result: Britain and France. Lincoln freed the 2 prisoners and On the Trent, Captain Charles Wilkes declared that Wilkes acted without boarded the Trent and arrested these orders. men. Both countries avoided war. British threatened war and dispatched 8,000 men to Canada. Emancipation Proclamation Lincoln’s Views on Slavery He did not think he had the constitutional power to destroy slavery. Garrison had asked him to fight for abolition, but he believed the war to be to save the union, not to end slavery. Rationale: emancipating slaves is taking away enemy power (slaves built fortifications and grew food for the south). Emancipation as a War Strategy Northern abolitionism was now very strong Britain supported emancipation, so it made it unlikely they would support CSA. Freed slaves undermined Southern support Free blacks could join US Army Reactions to the Proclamation North South For Emancipation: 1. Gave the war a high moral purpose by turning the struggle into a fight to free the slaves. 2. Free blacks welcomed the part that allowed them to join the army. a. They had tried to volunteer before, but were turned away. Against Emancipation: 1. Jefferson Davis: “the most execrable (hateful) measure recorded in the history of guilty man.” 2. Made the Confederacy more determined to fight to save their way of life. 3. Confederacy knew that if it lost now, it’s slaveholding society was over. Against Emancipation: 1. Some Democrats believed it was a bad idea – it would just prolong the war by antagonizing the South. 2. Disenfranchised some Union soldiers who did not fight to free the slaves, but for other reasons like $ or to save the union. Other Political Problems North Suspension of Habeas Corpus Requires a reason for jailing Used to jail any Confederate sympathizers that could have been subversive. When is it ok to jail people without an official charge? Copperheads – Northern Democrats who advocated peace with the South (Copperheads are well-camouflaged). Conscription (1863) Men 20 – 45 Could buy a substitute or pay a fee to avoid conscription altogether Draft Riots – 1863 NYC (July 13-16) Worried about Southern blacks coming and taking whites jobs NYC had rampant poverty, crime Poor white workers and immigrants saw it as unfair that they should fight to end slavery South Jefferson originally denounced Lincoln’s suspension of civil liberties. Eventually had to suspend habeas corpus himself. Conscription (1862) All able-bodied white men 1835 17 – 50 in 1864 Rich people could buy a substitute No drafting for any owner who owned more than 20 slaves. Rich man’s war, poor man’s fight