The enslaved Americans gave freedom to themselves. Seventy percent of effort was performed by the blacks to free themselves. The other thirty percent was from the whites who didn't believe the blacks should be enslaved. Their freedom came mostly from below. Blacks had to use effort from the black community to try to gain their freedom. Blacks were restricted in joining the army. A congressman in 1863 said, “This is a government of white men,
made by white men for white men, to be administered, protected and
maintained by white men." Whites did not want blacks fighting in the war since they would be fighting for the country. Blacks would feel they deserved to have equal freedom to whites after fighting for their country and risking their lives. Frederick Douglas said, “Once let the black man get upon his person
the brass letters, US; let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket
on his soldier and bullets in his pocket, and there is no power on
earth which can deny that he has earned the right to citizenship.” The blacks had to fight to gain their freedom and had to deal with the discrimination in order to get what they truly desired in the end.
A common misconception nowadays is that Lincoln freed the slaves which is false. Lincoln wanted what was best for the Union and what would help the result be a victory. In Horace Greeley’s Open Letter, he says: “If I could save the Union
without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could save it
by freeing all the slaves, I would do it,” This quote shows that the it wasn't all about the slaves. Lincoln agrees with what Greeley said, if freeing the slaves will would save the Union he would do it. The Union winning the Civil War was more important than the rights and freedom of slaves. Lincoln did help the blacks gain their freedom, he believed slavery wasn't right. Lincoln helped pass the emancipation proclamation but postponed its action until he had more support from the American public. That Blacks had help from above but the most of the effort for freedom came from below.
Above is a photo of a black kissing Lincoln's hand. This photo is what many people believe. This leads to the misconception that it was Lincoln who freed the slaves, when the effort to achieve freedom was mostly from the blacks.
