Introduction
Kentucky was one of the “border states” in the Civil War, both geographically and politically. It was situated on the dividing line between the northern and southern regions of the United States. And it was one of only a few slave states that opted to stay in the Union. Though the Commonwealth was officially neutral, its citizens were deeply divided over the issues that caused the Civil War, and over the war itself — a division symbolized by the fact that both Civil War presidents, Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, were Kentucky native sons. (Lowell 1987)
Kentucky’s citizens were split regarding the issues central to the Civil War. In 1860, slaves composed 19.5% of the Commonwealth’s population, and many Unionist Kentuckians saw nothing wrong with the peculiar institution. The Commonwealth was further bound to the South by the Mississippi River and its tributaries, which were the main commercial outlet for her surplus produce, although railroad connections to the North were beginning to diminish the importance of this tie. The ancestors of many Kentuckians hailed from Southern states like Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee, but many Kentucky children were beginning to migrate toward the North. (Lowell 1987)
Kentucky, along with North Carolina, also boasted the best educational systems in the South. Transylvania University had long been one of the most respected institutions of higher learning in the nation, and while its reputation had begun to fade by 1860, other Kentucky schools like Centre College and Georgetown College were gaining prominence. (Lowell 1987)
The Essay on Civil War: North and South Similarities and Differences
The north and south have always had different viewpoints upon their war. The north had battled because they needed to protect their unity. The south had fought to protect slavery and to keep their own state rights. Both sides had their reasons for battle. Now even though they did battle for different reasons, both sides also had thought that were similar to the other’s. Whether this is view is ...
Politically, Kentucky was proud of its role in preserving the Union. It was also proud that Commonwealth had produced some of the country’s best known leaders. Former Vice-Presidents John C.Breckinridge and Richard M. Johnson both hailed from the Bluegrass state, as did Henry Clay and future president Abraham Lincoln. However, by the time of the Civil War, the Commonwealth was in a politically confused state. The decline of the Whig Party, which Clay had founded, had left many politicians looking for an identity. Many joined the increasingly popular Democratic Party; a few joined the newly-formed Republican Party, while still others associated with one of numerous minor parties such as the Known Nothing Party. (Lowell 1987)
Through the work of the Great Compromiser, Kentucky Senator Henry Clay, conflict was prevented for more than 30 years, even though bitter feelings between the Northern and Southern states over tariffs, states’ rights, and the slavery issue threatened to rip the country apart. At the time of the Civil War, the Kentucky governor, Beriah Magoffin, was a Southern sympathizer, while the representatives in the legislature supported the Union. When the time came for the legislature to vote whether to secede from the Union and join the Confederacy or agree to provide troops for the Federal army, the representatives voted to remain neutral, angering many Kentuckians who supported the South. (Lowell 1987)
By law, Kentucky was a slave state. Kentucky was a source of slaves for the cotton plantations in the lower South, and the slave trade was a very profitable business for many Kentuckians. However, most Kentuckians did not own slaves. Those who did were wealthy plantation owners who stood to lose a lot if slavery were abolished. The major slave-owning areas and the people from these areas joined the Confederate army. (Lowell 1987)
In 1861 and 1862, Kentucky saw a number of battles and skirmishes. By the end of 1862, after the battle of Perryville, Confederate forces retreated from the state. But the destruction caused by war was not over for Kentuckians. From December 1862 to January 1865, famous Confederate raids by John Hunt Morgan, Nathan Bedford Forrest, Quantrill, and “Sue” Mundy destroyed Union supply depots, bridges, county courthouses, and people’s personal property. Kentucky also experienced a period of lawlessness in 1864, when “Bushwhackers” — small bands of unruly soldiers from both sides — looted small towns and robbed local farmers of produce and livestock. (Lowell 1987)
The Essay on Slaves South Slavery Union
I'll try to help you the best that I can, but I recommend going to your local library and just go over some books that contain documents that are around the Civil War era and speeches of some candidates like Douglas. I'll help you with the first 2 since you seem to know about #3. 2. The South said that they needed slavery to keep their economic growth. The South had always relied on farming and ...
When President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in January of 1863, all slaves in the Confederacy were legally set free. Because Kentucky remained in the Union, slaves in this state were not free. Lincoln declared in 1864 that any slave who enlisted in the Union army would be given freedom as well as the freedom of his family. A flood of Kentucky slaves rushed to Camp Nelson to enlist. Soon, the camp in southcentral Kentucky became a recruitment center for colored troops, as well as a refugee center for their families. (Lowell 1987)
The Civil War ended in 1865, and Kentucky slaves were legally freed when the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States was ratified soon afterward. But Confederate sentiment was still high in Kentucky after the war. The Kentucky General Assembly failed to ratify either the 13th Amendment; the 14th, which gave equal protection under the law to blacks; or the 15th, which gave African Americans the right to vote. (Lowell 1987)
Works Cited
Lowell Hayes Harrison (1987) The Civil War of Kentucky. University Press of
Kentucky. (Pages 1-119)
