Union Blockade of GA's Coast

   This was the battle between ship and shore on the coast of Confederate Georgia. The Union Blockade was a crucial part of the Union strategy to suppress the state during the Civil War. Union planned to halt any trade and prevent the flow of supplies to the Confederates. It ran from 1861 to 1865. U.S. president Abraham Lincoln's call at the start of the war for a naval blockade of the entire Southern coastline took a long time to form, but by early 1862 the Union navy had positioned a serviceable fleet off the coast of the South's most prominent Confederate ports. On April 19, 1861, the blockade finally began. In Georgia, Union strategy centered on Savannah, the state's most significant port city, and the other eleven of the most important ports of the Confederates were shut down. The plan was a huge success and victory was an easy gain to the Union.

Sharecropping and Tenant Farming

Sharecropping

Many former slaves expected the federal government to give them a certain amount of land as a gift for all the work they had done during the slavery era. Union General William T. Sherman had encouraged this expectation in early 1865 by granting numerous of freed men 40 acres each of the abandoned land left in the wake of his army. During Reconstruction, however, the conflict over labor resulted in the sharecropping system, in which black families would rent small plots of land in return for a portion of their crop (often half), to be given to the landowner at the end of each year. Sharecroppers often rarely had a chance to make any profit or to save any money. 

Tenant Farming

Tenant Farming was a "step up" from sharecropping. It enabled farm laborers to rent land from landowners for a percentage of crops, called crop rent, or cash payments, called cash rent. The terms of contracts varied, it depended on whether the worker owned any equipment or purchased his own seed and supplies. Though tenant farmers usually owned equipment and/or farm animals, and the landowners provided the house and land. Crop rent contracts generally required that one-fourth to one-third of the crop be paid to the landlord. 

Reconstruction Plans

Abraham Lincoln Plan

In late 1863, Lincoln announced a formal plan for reconstruction:

-A general amnesty or pardon would be grated to all (pertaining to Southerners) who would take   an oath of loyalty to the U.S and pledge to obey all federal laws pertaining to slavery.

-High Confederate officials and military leaders were to be temporarily excluded from the process

-When 10% of the voters who had participated in the 1860 election had taken the oath within a particular state, then that state could rejoin, form a new government and elect representatives to Congress.

Andrew Johnson  Plan

President Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865. His successor, Andrew Johnson, lacked his predecessor’s skills in handling people, and those skills would surely be missed. Johnson’  envisioned plans agreed with Lincoln's. He also approved the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery forever, and he nullified ordinances of secession.

Initial Congressional Plan

In July 1864, Congress passed the Wade-Davis Bill, their own formula for restoring the Union:

     -A state must have a majority within its borders take the oath of loyalty

     -A state must formally abolish slavery

     -No Confederate officials could participate in the new governments.

However, Lincoln did not approve of this plan and exercised his pocket veto.

Freedman's Bureau

Freedmen's Bureau was an organization formed by the Radical Republicans to aid and protect the newly freed blacks in the South after the Civil War. It was established by and act of March 3rd, 1865, under the name of "bureau of refugees, freedmen, and abandoned lands,"

Between 1865 and 1869, the bureau issued about 15 million rations to blacks and 5 million to whites. By 1867 it had established 45 hospitals staffed with doctors and nurses. Its medical department treated about one million sick people.

Its greatest accomplishments were in education. More than 1,000 black schools were built and over $400,000 were spent to establish teacher-training institutions. All major black colleges were either founded by, or received aid from, the bureau. However, less success was achieved in civil rights,  for the bureau’s own courts were poorly organized and short-lived.

Land, was the biggest failure on the Bureau's part. Prevented by President Andrew Johnson’s restoration of abandoned lands, the bureau was forced to overlook sharecropping arrangements that unavoidably became an inflicting conflict. Congress was already preoccupied with other national interests and the hostility of white Southerners, terminated the bureau in July 1872.

Henry McNeal Turner and black legislatures

Black men participated in Georgia politics for the first time during the Congressional Reconstruction from 1867 to 1876. Between 1867 and 1872, sixty-nine African Americans served as delegates to the constitutional convention (1867-68) or as members of the state legislature. One of the three most prominent black legislators was Henry McNeal Turner.

Turner was the most successful black politician in organizing the black Republican vote and attracted other ministers into politics. He was a delegate to the Georgia constitutional convention of 1867 and was elected to two terms in the Georgia legislature, beginning in 1868. 

In September 1868,  the legislature, dominated by Republicans, expelled their African American members. Energized, the black legislators, led by Turner, continued to concentrate on political and civil rights. For many of them,education had been their highest priority since 1865. With their solid support, Georgia adopted public education.

Ku Klux Klan

The Ku Klux Klan, with its long history of brutal violence, was America's first and most infamous domestic terrorists.  This hate group was formed in December 1865, the Klan has typically seen itself as a Christian organization, although it was anything but Christian-like. Though they mainly targeted blacks, the Klan also targeted Jews, immigrants, gays and lesbians and, until recently, Catholics.

Their initial goal however, was to stop blacks from voting, and they tried to deprive blacks of their rights throughout the South. They also targeted whites, such as the Radical Republicans, who were working to guarantee blacks' civil rights. 

After the Jim Crow Law was passed, the "first era" of the Ku Klux Klan was demolished, it rose again in the 1920s due to the strong opposition to immigrants (mainly Catholics and Jews). By 1925, the Klan had as many as 4 million members and, in some states, considerable political power. But a series of sex scandals, internal battles over power and newspaper exposés quickly reduced its influence and it died out. The Klan arose a third time during the 1960s to oppose the civil rights movement and to preserve segregation. The Klan's bombings, murders and other attacks took many innocent lives, leaving America fearing the worst. 

Since the 1970s, the Klan has been greatly weakened by internal conflicts, court cases, and government infiltration. Today, the Center estimates that there are between 5,000 and 8,000 Klan members, split among dozens of different organizations that use the Klan name.

13th, 14th & 15th Amendment

Thirteenth Amendment 

- It was passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, the 13th amendment abolished slavery in the United States and stated that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.".

Fourteenth Amendment

- It was ratified on July 9, 1868, and granted citizenship to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States,” which included former slaves recently freed. In addition, it forbids states from denying any person "life, liberty or property, without due process of law" or to "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” By directly mentioning the role of the states, the 14th Amendment greatly expanded the protection of civil rights to every American. It also prevented former Confederate officials from holding office. 

Fifteenth Amendment

- It was ratified on February 3, 1870. It granted African American men the right to vote by declaring that the "right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Although the promise of the 15th Amendment would not be fully realized for almost a century. Through the use of poll taxes, literacy tests and other means, Southern states were able to effectively disenfranchise African Americans. It would take the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 before the majority of African Americans in the South were registered to vote.

Sites: www.loc.gov

Andersonville

Andersonville was chosen for a prison site because of its inland remoteness and its safe distance from coastal raids and there were little opposition from the citizens of the area.

Designed for 10,000 but held over 

30,000 prisoners

Prisoners suffered from swarms of insects, filth, and disease generated by the contaminated water supply of the creek

The mortality rate was the highest of any other prisons during the Civil War. 13,000  out of 45,000 prisoners died there, chiefly of malnutrition the conditions failed to provide adequate supplies of living conditions for the inmates or even for the staff

Henry Wirz

Prisoners did little to improve the miserable conditions. They polluted their only water source, wells were covered because of people trying to escape, gathering firewood was forbidden because 

prisoners tried to escape when they were let out, and they robbed one another and formed gangs.

Henry Wirz was the commander of the prison, although he wasn't well liked by the guards or the prisoners and he was disrespected by them. He was executed for war crime, and he was the only person executed for war crime.

In August, 1864, prison population declined because prisoners were moved because of Sherman's March, ending the lives of many captured soldiers.

Militia replaced the infantry when they left and they had a deadline to maintain control. If a prisoner attempted to cross over their boundary, they were usually shot and punished. 

Today, Andersonville is a cemetery and a historical sight, honoring all the fallen soldiers. 

Sherman's Atlanta Campaign & March to the Sea

Reasons:
-railroad center
-upcoming election and the favor was not towards Lincoln
-big supply line for the Confederate
-to increase northern support

Why the march was risky:
-total cut off from supply lines
-total cut off from any form of communication

Significance: 
-to cut of supply lines for the South
-to frighten the South
-to ruin Atlanta, Confederate's symbol of progress
-ensure Lincoln's win for reelection
-to make Georgians wary of war to make them want to quit.

William Sherman

Three other historical names referred to his policy of pillaging and destruction:
-Hard War
-Total War
-Scorched Earth

Lee replaced General Joseph Johnson with General William Sherman because Johnson kept retreating and backing up from battle plans.While General Sherman waited for the approval of his march, he ordered the evacuation of the citizens because he wanted to make Atlanta a military base, and he didn't want to have to care or provide for the citizens. 

Chickamauga

In 1863, after the Tullahoma Campaign, Union General William Rosecrans renewed his offensive, aiming to force the Confederates out of Chattanooga. In early September, Rosecrans strengthed his forces scattered in Tennessee and Georgia and forced General Braxton Bragg’s army out of Chattanooga, heading south. Bragg was determined to reoccupy Chickamauga because of its manufactures and railroads, and decided to meet a part of Rosecrans’s army, defeat them, and then move back into the city. 

William Rosecrans

Braxton Bragg

On the 17th of September, he headed north, intending to meet and beat the Confederate army. On September 18, 1863, the battle of Chickamauga began. On the 20th, Rosecrans was misinformed that there was a gap in his line. As he fixed the non-existent gap, he created an actual gap. Because of that malfunction, it lead to the victory of the Confederates.

The battle of Chickamauga lead to the Atlanta Campaign because Lincoln's reelection wasn't very promising and because it was a such a major supply line. 

Gettysburg

The battle of Gettysburg was the largest battle of the Civil War. It was fought on July 1st through 3rd, 1863. The battle was a huge loss for the Confederates. They lost a large amount of men, shattering their biggest army. Their surrender was known as the turning point in the war.

General Robert E. Lee led his confederate troop to the North, hoping for a successful invasion. Lee intended to collect supplies in the Pennsylvania farmland and take the fighting away from Virginia. He wanted to threaten Northern cities, weaken the North's positive attitude for war and especially win a major battle on Northern soil and strengthen the peace movement in the North.\

General Joseph Hooker led the Union troop in pursuit, but he was laid off just three days before the battle. General George Gordon Meade took over as his successor and kept his army between Lee's and Washington D.C.

On the third day of the battle, Pickett's charge ended the battle as well as thousands of lives. General George Pickett along with General James Johnson Pettigrew's charge was a huge fail. The charge's division was very weak and it had a lot of open ground. Pickett's 6,000-man division left more than half of its men dead, bleeding or captured on the field at Gettysburg, including all 15 regimental commanders. The Union fought back with their rifles and artillery fire. 

In the end, the Union was granted victory that could have been easily the Confederate's. A total of 51,112 thousand soldiers were killed and wounded. The Union had 23,049 casualties, and the Confederate had 28,063. Although a winner came out, both sides suffered huge losses. 


Source: www.cilvilwar.org
    

Antietam (Sharpsburg)

 On September 7th, 1862, the single bloodiest day in the U.S. history broke out. Set in Sharpsburg, Maryland, General Robert E. Lee (confederate) and George B. McClellan (union) led their troops onto the battlefield. It was the first time that a battle took place on Union territory.

 General E. Lee had it all planned out. He took the offensive route by marching into the Union territory. He decided to lead his forces into Maryland, where he thought he would gain support from the local people, whom he thought were against President Abraham Lincoln’s reforms. 

 However, the plan didn't go as planned. Words slipped and information traveled. It's unknown to who or what spilled the plan, but McClellan got his hands on Lee's plan. It would have been an easy victory for the Union. They had a larger army and they found a flaw in Lee's plan that could secure a victory. 

 McClellan made a huge tactical mistake. He didn't tell his officers of his overall plan. Instead, he only informed the officers of what was expected from their own troops. That meant each section was unable to see what was happening in other areas, and communication between McClellan’s command post and the three separate offensive locations were very poor. And instead of launching his three offensives at the same time, McClellan launched the first attack in the morning, the second during the middle of the day, and the third later in the afternoon. This poor strategy gave Lee the opportunity to concentrate his forces at the focus of each attack, and cancelled out the Union army’s advantage and superiority.

 On September 18, a truce was declared to allow recovery of dead and wounded soldiers, and the battle came to an end. Lee used this opportunity to begin withdrawing over the Potomac to Virginia.

Emancipation Proclamation

-The result of the Battle of Antietam led to President Abraham Lincoln issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. 

-On September 22, 1862, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

-"It was an important turning point in the war, transforming the fight to preserve the nation into a battle for human freedom."

-The proclamation declared, "all persons held as slaves within any States, or designated part of the State, the people whereof shall be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free."

-The Proclamation allowed black soldiers to fight in the war since soldiers were desperately needed. This new law also tied issue of slavery to the war.

-All slaves were freed except for those that lived in the rebel states- Lincoln did not want to anger the slaves states that were loyal to the Union. 

Timeline- Abraham Lincoln

Abraham's home

February 12, 1809- Abraham Lincoln is born in Nolin Creek, Kentucky. His parents are Thomas and Nancy Hanks Lincoln.

December, 1816- Lincoln family moves to Indiana

February, 1817- Lincoln's first time shooting a turkey. He hated the experience and never hunted again.

1818- October 5, 1818- His mother dies.
Abraham is kicked in the head by a horse. He suffers a severe head injury.

December 2, 1819- Sarah Bush Johnston becomes the new mother in the family.

1824- Abraham does plowing and planting work for neighbors. He attends school for a while and reads all
the time.

March, 1830- Lincoln's family moves to  Illinois.
First political speech of Abraham on improving navigation on the Sangamon River.

1832- March: Abe becomes a candidate for Illinois General Assembly.
April: Abraham and William Berry become partners and purchase a village store in New Salem.

1833- Store fails and leaves the two in debt.
October: Abe is appointed Deputy County Surveyor.

1834- Abe begins to study law.
He meets Ann Rutledge

1835- August 25: Ann Rutledge passes away.
Becomes leader of the Whig Party

1836- September 9: Lincoln receives his law license.
He begins to court Mary Owens.

1837- April 15: Abraham moves to Springfield.
He proposes to Mary Owens, but is rejected.

1840- June: Abe presents his first case.
Mary Todd accepts his proposal and the couple become engaged.

March 1, 1841- Establishes new law partnership with Stephen T. Logan

1842- September: James Shields challenges Abraham to a sword duel over the publication of letters.
Duel averted by an explanation.
November 4, Abraham and Mary Todd marries in Springfield.

August 1, 1843- Robert Todd Lincoln is born

December, 1844- Abe sets up his own law practice and dissolves partnership with Logan.

1846- March 10: Edward Baker Lincoln is born.
August 3: Abraham is elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.


1847- Lincoln family moves to Washington D.C.

1850- February 1: Edward Baker Lincoln dies.
December 21: William Wallace Lincoln is born.

April 4,1853- Thomas Lincoln is born.

1854- Abe is elected to Illinois legislature.

1855- Fails in his quest to become U.S Senator.

June 26, 1857- Speech against the Dred Scott decision which ruled the Dred Scott must remain a slave.

June 16, 1858- Abe is nominated as Republican senator from Illinois.

1860- March 6: Speech on slavery in New Haven, Connecticut
May 18: Nominated to be the Republican candidate for the President of the United States
NOVEMBER 6: Abraham Lincoln is elected as the 16th president of the United States.

1861- March 4: President Lincoln delivers his First Inaugural Address

1865- April 14: President Lincoln and his wife go to Ford's Theater to see the play "Our American Cousin". During the third act of the play, John Wilkes Booth shoots the president in the head. He died the next morning.

May 4: Abraham Lincoln is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery, right outside of Springfield, Illinois.

Alexander Stephens

Born near Crawfordville in Taliaferro County on February 11, 1812, Alexander Stephens was orphaned at fourteen. Most would say it intensified his melancholic disposition. He attended Franklin College (University of Georgia) and graduated in 1832. 

In 1836, he was elected as a Whig to the state legislature, where he served for seven years. he played a very critical role in getting the Compromise of 1850 passed. Stephens signed Georgia's secession, and later became elected as the vice president of the Confederacy. President Jefferson Davis, consulted Alexander quite often, and they were close friends. However, it quickly changed as the war became more focused on military concerns. 

After the war, Stephens was imprisoned for five months at  Boston's Fort Warren. After being released, he was elected by Georgia citizens to the U.S. Senate under President Andrew Johnson. 

Credits:

"New Georgia Encyclopedia: Alexander Stephens (1812-1883)." New Georgia Encyclopedia: Alexander Stephens (1812-1883). N.p., 2 July 2012. Web. 11 Feb. 2013.

Election of 1860, Georgia Secession and Alexander Stephens

In 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected president mainly due to the split in the Democratic Party. 

The South reacted to the election with secession led by North Carolina. In 1861, at the Georgia secession convention held in Capital of Milledgeville, secessionists wanted to leave the union immediately, while the cooperationists were not leaning towards seceding. In the end, the delegates voted for secession. 

Alexander Stephens was a cooperationist who helped passed the Compromise of 1850. He was concerned about the secession even though it was inevitable. He was the vice president of the Confederacy. 

Dred Scott Case

Through out the slavery period, slaves have escaped or physically harmed themselves and others to get to their freedom. Then enters Dred Scott, a former slave that fought for his freedom another way. In 1830, Scott arrived in St. Louis, Missouri. Approximately two years later, John Emerson became Dred's master. They traveled to various places, including Illinois and Wisconsin, where they prohibited slavery. Despite going along free territory, Dred Scott and his wife, Harriet(married in 1836) did not escape. In 1843, John Emerson passed away, leaving Irene Emerson, his wife, the owner of the Scott's family. When Dred proposed to purchase his family's freedom, Irene ignored him. 

Dred Scott was led through anti-slavery states by his owner. Those states had rules that any enslaved person brought into the state became free. Because of that, Dred Scott sued to try to win freedom for his family and him. The Supreme Court ruled that a negro like him had no rights and that the federal government had no right to interfere with the institution of slavery. Slavery advocates were encouraged and made plans to expand slavery into the Western states. It created a large tension that led to the Civil War. 

Credits: 

"Dred Scott." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2013.

Compromise of 1850 and Georgia Platform

During the 1850's, the balance of free and slave states were in danger of being disrupted. The Compromise of 1850 consisted of five bills that were intended to deal with the spread of slavery while keeping it balanced between the North and the South.

First Bill: California entered as a free state. 

Second Bill: New Mexico and Utah were allowed to choose their states as free or slave. 

Third Bill: Republic of Texas gave up lands because they were indebted  to the U.S. government, leaving the lands parts of North Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Nevada.

Forth Bill: The slave trade was abolished in Washington, D.C

Fifth Bill: The Fugitive Slave Act, ordering federal officers to arrest runaway slaves or they will be punished by having to pay a fine. 

The Fugitive Slave Act was the most controversial part of the compromise and it led to increased efforts against slavery from the abolitionists.


With America facing threats of a split between the nation over the Compromise of 1850, Georgia adopted a proclamation to helped to avert a national crisis. In other words, it delayed the Union from confederacy. Howell Cobb, Robert Toombs and Alexander Stephens were the representatives of Georgia in Congress. They were responsible for a great deal of political influence in Georgia. They helped with the Compromise of 1850 in Washington and also ensured that the radical secessionists in Georgia were defeated. Their hard work and efforts was what became the Georgia Platform.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

The Kansas-Nebraska Act was established by the U.S congress on May 30th, 1854. It granted the people in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery in their borders. The act infuriated the North, for they had believed that the Missouri Compromise was a long- standing and binding agreement. The South, however, strongly supported the act. After the act was passed, pro-slavery and anti-slavery supporters rushed to settle in Kansas, it affected the outcome of the first election held after the act had been passed.

However, pro-slavery and anti-slavery had disagreements on the election. The pro-slavery settlers carried the first election but were charged with election fraud by the anti-slavery supporters. As a result, Kansas established two opposing legislatures. Of course, violence soon erupted, earning Kansas the nickname of "bleeding Kansas, with John Brown led the anti-slavery forces. President Franklin Pierce, support of the pro-slavery side, sent in troops to stop the violence, and in addition, to get rid of the anti-slavery forces. Afterwards, another election was called and the pro-slavery won and they were charged with election fraud once again. Because of that Congress didn't recognize the constitution from the pro-slavery settlers and Kansas was not allowed to become a state. 

Eventually, anti-slavery supporters outnumbered the other and a new constitution was formed. On January 29, 1861, Kansas became a free state in the Union.

Tariffs, States Rights & Nullifications

May 19, 1828, a tariff was placed on imported goods to lessen the amount of purchases from outside the country, since buying from Europe was ruining businesses. (Also known as the Tariff Abomination.) But because the South was not as into manufacturing as the North, it affected them greatly. They became furious. The South were harmed by having to pay higher prices on goods the region did not produce. The tariff also reduced the importation of British goods, making it difficult for the British to pay for the cotton they imported from the South. The reaction in the South, especially South Carolina, led to the Nullification Crisis that began in late 1832.

The Nullification Crisis was led by John C. Calhoun from South Carolina. He declared that states were allowed to nullify or void federal laws if the law was unconstitutional and they refused to follow it. President  Andrew Jackson replied with rage, sending troops to be prepared to enforce the Tariff bill and asking Congress for a "Force Bill" to back him up. On the very same day Jackson's request "Force Bill" was passed (March 2, 1833), Henry Clay's compromise tariff also passed. While the Force Bill may have discouraged other Southern states from joining the South Carolina's opposition to the federal tariff, it was the compromise on the tariff that allowed South Carolina to "save face" and leave from its nullification ordinance. 

Though this crisis and a new tariff law was passed, there were still lots of tension left between the North and the South. Southern legislators continued to claim states rights and for the right to govern themselves.

Missouri Compromise

          The Missouri Compromise was an act passed by the congress in 1820 that allowed Missouri to become a slave state. At the time, states were divided into two balanced groups: one for slavery and one against. The balance of free states and slave states were needed because if one had more than another, chaos could have easily broke out. So in order for Missouri to become a slave state without causing a tip in the balance, another state had to become a free state. In the end, Maine became a free state, giving Missouri what it wanted. 

Slavery- A Picture is worth a thousand words

Harriet Tubman-A Well-Known Conductor

As a women that was born into slavery, Harriet Tubman was a strong and intelligent person that helped free at least 300 slaves. At the age of five and six, she began working as a house servant, during her teenage years, Tubman was sent to work in the fields. While she was only still in her early teens, she blocked a blow from a overseer for one of the other slaves. The two pound weight thrown at Harriet hit her directly in the head. She never recovered from that injury, for it always made her fall into a deep sleep. Although her real name was Araminta Ross, she changed both her first and last names after she married John Tubman. She feared of being sold, and with the help of a friendly white woman, Harriet Tubman was on her way. 

She escaped at night on foot, and arrived in Pennsylvania, where she worked to save up money and after a year she returned to Maryland and help free her sister and her sister's two children. She made the dangerous trip back to the South soon after to rescue her brother and two other men. On her third return, she went after her husband, only to find he had taken another wife. But she was not discouraged, she found other slaves seeking freedom and took them back with her to the North. Afterwards, Harriet Tubman returned to the south again and again to aid other slaves to freedom.

By 1856, "Wanted" signs for Tubman's capture would have brought a $40,000 reward from the South. one time, she overheard some men reading her wanted poster, and it had stated that she was illiterate. She purposefully pulled out a book and pretended to be reading it. The ploy had fooled the men.
Tubman had made trips to the South 19 times by 1860, including the challenging journey in which she rescued her 70-year-old parents.

Becoming friends with the leading abolitionists, Frederick Douglass, Tubman became a regular in antislavery meetings. During the Civil War, Harriet Tubman worked as a cook, a nurse, and a spy. 

The brave Harriet Tubman passed away in 1913.

Underground Railroad

           The Underground Railroad was a system organized by mostly blacks to help slaves escape to freedom. Although it sounds like an easy way out, it was anything but for the slaves. It was tremendously hard for the slaves to escape from their owner's house and to know who to trust. A conductor(key people who helped with the Underground Railroad) might pose as a slave in order to enter a plantation and give slaves their lines (travel route). They mainly traveled at night to avoid getting caught. They would generally travel between 10 and 20 miles to the next station using boats, trains wagons and on foot, where they would rest and eat whatever they could find along the way, hiding in barns and other out-of-the-way places. While they waited, a message would be sent to the next station to alert its stationmaster. Sometimes, clever slaves use disguises to help them escapes them to the South. Of course, a secret system also consists of a secret language. Here are just a few: escaped slaves are called cargo or passengers; stopping places are called stations; and key people that helped with the Underground Railroad are called conductors. The Railroad system helped more than 100 thousand slaves to freedom from 1810 to 1850.

Slavery- The Road to Civil War

Slavery was a period of time when Africans were considered as tools and properties. They were dehumanized and were thought of as 3/5 of a person. Their bitter history is being recognized and passed down from century to century, telling their sorrowful tales and their hardships. From the first African slave arrival in 1619 to the final farewell in 1865, their past will be revealed and shared right here. 

Work: There were three types of slaves: rice slaves, cotton slaves and house slaves. The cotton slaves had the gang system(division of labor within slavery on a plantation) that forced them to work continuously throughout the day. The gang system was divided into three groups. The first group, being the hardest group, was given the hardest tasks and work, and it was usually assigned to handy slaves. The second group was for the less able group, such as teenagers, elders, or unwell slaves. The third group had the easiest tasks, and they were usually the favorites of the masters'. The rice slaves were assigned the task system, and it was less harsh than the gang system. The slaves were given assigned work times and after work hours, they were grant freedom for the rest of the day. The house slaves usually were the masters' favorites. Their job was to clean, cook and garden for their owners. The slaves were given rations, although some receive more because they were closer to the master. They live in cabins in the main house of behind the house and they lived in quarters and they had the same constrained plots used to grow food for themselves. they had few furniture and only one room. 

Family and Religion: Slave marriage was not legal, and if two were to fall in love and have children, they could be easily separated due to selling auctions. There were religious services on the plantation that they worked on. The slaves prayed in hope and justice and were very religious because God provided a sense of peace and comfort for them. And they believed that once they descend to heaven, they will have equal rights. If they were to attend the services, there had to be a white man so that way, it will prevent rebellions and other disturbance. Masters believed that religious services made their slaves more obedient so that was why slaves were allowed to attend the services.

Slave Laws and Resistance: Slaves were not allowed to be taught to read and write because that way it's easier for them to gain control for rights and freedom. They also couldn't travel without a pass from their owners and they couldn't own property. If they were to be trialed in court, they would lose every time because slaves were not allowed to testify against white. If slaves was involved in a rebellion, and murdered someone, they were given the death penalty. Some masters believe that their slaves should be free, and most times, free slaves were sent to Liberia.

Fugitive Slaves and Abolitionists: Abolitionists wanted freedom and equal rights for everyone.They were determined and proud of what they wanted and who they were. They believed in doing good deeds to show their religion. Some slaves are driven to the point where they are so overworked and mistreated, that they do thing like self-harm and even attempt suicide to abstain from being sold again. Because if there's something wrong with them, they won't have to work anymore. When slaves escape as a sign of rebellion, masters put up signs and offer rewards to those who finds the slaves. The posters are just like a lost dog or lost cat sign, except the owners offer a large sum of money.

Georgia's Slave Codes: The slave codes are cruel and unreasonable, but people were not hesitant to use it. It was absolute torture for the slaves. Some of the slave codes are, people are paid to punish slaves; If slaves are caught without a pass, are punished; Giving a pass to a slave that you don't own, you will be charged three pounds; killing a slave, you are charged fifty pounds. 

Frederick Douglass's Autobiographical Proof: Slave children were separated from parents almost immediately, because it was a way to dehumanize slaves and make them seem more like tools instead of human beings. The children never learned their real birthday or age.Slaves owners had their slaves raise children only to sell them afterwards. Slaves were whipped cut and brutally hurt.