Lovett, Bobby. "African Americans, Civil War, and Aftermath in Arkansas." Arkansas Historical Quarterly 54.3 (1995): 304-358. JSTOR. Web. 13 June 2013.
By: Star Bucella
Many slave owners during the Civil War were aware of how important their slaves were to profit, productivity, and every day chores, until the ownership of their slaves was being threatened. For example, David Porter confesses that he asked to add more slave to his existing ones because, “the white men cannot stand the southern sun” (311). Considering this, before, during, and after the Civil War were crucial times for blacks in America. They went from being enslaved, to fighting for their freedom, and receiving small bits of freedom at a time.
As hard as President Lincoln was trying to enforce emancipation, some states were trying harder to avoid it. For example, with Arkansas having some of the highest numbers of cotton production, many people thought that giving up their slaves was completely out of the question. So, Arkansas split in two. The northern side was pro emancipation because they were wealthier people while the southern part of the state housed many farmers whom benefited greatly from slaves, so they were determined to keep their free laborers.
Many people believed that due to slaves being in the custody of their masters since birth, it would have been awful for them to try to conform to society on their own. People believed this for various reasons including their lack of knowledge of the blacks intelligence and the desire to have their slaves back. Lovett acknowledges this and responds with, “Arkansas's highly structured system of slavery rendered the blacks socially and culturally isolated from white society and largely unready to live in America's free society” (307). In order to help the formal slaves, the government set up different programs and opportunities that allowed the needed assistance for some while others were left on their own. Lovett tells of a “land lease system” that was set up for former slaves to keep the profit they earned from land that was leased out to them (315). Few blacks were able to prosper with the land they were given, but due to the lack of tools and supplies many were not able to take advantage of this opportunity. After that failed system, “Congress created the Bureau of Freedmen, Abandoned Lands, and Refugees” (315). With the Bureau of Freedmen “being the first federally-funded social work program for blacks” it seemed to help because it provided black farmers with supplies, tools, and profit. With time, some Bureau agents became corrupt by giving the white owners furniture and other supplies rather than distributing them to the former slaves.
Another attempt to help blacks was to get them involved with the Union army. “It was not difficult to get slaves to join the Union army or to persuade northern black leaders to campaign for the recruitment of black soldiers” explains Lovett. Though the war was beneficial to the start of freeing slaves, it was not good in all aspects. With the war came disease, hunger, sickness from dirty hospitals, and there was even a time when sewage crept into the drinking water which killed thousands of people.
In Lovett’s opening statement, he acknowledges that “Blacks in Arkansas experienced social, political, and religious changes during the Civil War and the early years of Reconstruction that turned Arkansas's slave society upside down” (304). By suggesting something so powerful, he was allowed to show his readers the critical agenda for his writing. Bobby Lovett maked it clear that blacks, being former slaves, suffered through many hardships while trying to gain true freedom. During the Civil War, the government put out systems to assist blacks in settling down, but it was clear that the systems were not there for them. Throughout these trying times, former slaves were forced to try a variety of tasks in order survive. In the end, joining the Union army which was the most unlikely position for blacks, was what helped them keep their heads above the water of slavery.
By: Star Bucella
Many slave owners during the Civil War were aware of how important their slaves were to profit, productivity, and every day chores, until the ownership of their slaves was being threatened. For example, David Porter confesses that he asked to add more slave to his existing ones because, “the white men cannot stand the southern sun” (311). Considering this, before, during, and after the Civil War were crucial times for blacks in America. They went from being enslaved, to fighting for their freedom, and receiving small bits of freedom at a time.
As hard as President Lincoln was trying to enforce emancipation, some states were trying harder to avoid it. For example, with Arkansas having some of the highest numbers of cotton production, many people thought that giving up their slaves was completely out of the question. So, Arkansas split in two. The northern side was pro emancipation because they were wealthier people while the southern part of the state housed many farmers whom benefited greatly from slaves, so they were determined to keep their free laborers.
Many people believed that due to slaves being in the custody of their masters since birth, it would have been awful for them to try to conform to society on their own. People believed this for various reasons including their lack of knowledge of the blacks intelligence and the desire to have their slaves back. Lovett acknowledges this and responds with, “Arkansas's highly structured system of slavery rendered the blacks socially and culturally isolated from white society and largely unready to live in America's free society” (307). In order to help the formal slaves, the government set up different programs and opportunities that allowed the needed assistance for some while others were left on their own. Lovett tells of a “land lease system” that was set up for former slaves to keep the profit they earned from land that was leased out to them (315). Few blacks were able to prosper with the land they were given, but due to the lack of tools and supplies many were not able to take advantage of this opportunity. After that failed system, “Congress created the Bureau of Freedmen, Abandoned Lands, and Refugees” (315). With the Bureau of Freedmen “being the first federally-funded social work program for blacks” it seemed to help because it provided black farmers with supplies, tools, and profit. With time, some Bureau agents became corrupt by giving the white owners furniture and other supplies rather than distributing them to the former slaves.
Another attempt to help blacks was to get them involved with the Union army. “It was not difficult to get slaves to join the Union army or to persuade northern black leaders to campaign for the recruitment of black soldiers” explains Lovett. Though the war was beneficial to the start of freeing slaves, it was not good in all aspects. With the war came disease, hunger, sickness from dirty hospitals, and there was even a time when sewage crept into the drinking water which killed thousands of people.
In Lovett’s opening statement, he acknowledges that “Blacks in Arkansas experienced social, political, and religious changes during the Civil War and the early years of Reconstruction that turned Arkansas's slave society upside down” (304). By suggesting something so powerful, he was allowed to show his readers the critical agenda for his writing. Bobby Lovett maked it clear that blacks, being former slaves, suffered through many hardships while trying to gain true freedom. During the Civil War, the government put out systems to assist blacks in settling down, but it was clear that the systems were not there for them. Throughout these trying times, former slaves were forced to try a variety of tasks in order survive. In the end, joining the Union army which was the most unlikely position for blacks, was what helped them keep their heads above the water of slavery.