page 16
SECTION 4 — USA: ‘a house divided’, 1850−1865
PART B — HISTORICAL SOURCES — 40 marks
Study the sources below and attempt the following three questions.
Source A fr
I have, Senators, believed from the first that the agitation of the subject of
slavery would, if not prevented by some timely and effective measure, end in
disunion. The agitation has been permitted to proceed, with almost no attempt
to resist it, until it has reached a point when it can no longer be disguised or
denied that the Union is in danger. You have thus had forced upon you the
greatest and gravest question that can ever come under your consideration: How
can the Union be preserved? To this question there can be but one answer — the
immediate cause is almost universal discontent, which pervades all the States
composing the Southern section of the Union and the North has the absolute
control over the Government. It is manifest [obvious], that on all the questions
between it and the South, where there is a diversity of interests, the interests of
the latter will be sacrificed to the former. I have now, Senators, done my duty in
expressing my opinions fully, freely, and candidly on this solemn occasion . . .
Source B
from Civil War: Fort Sumter to Appomattox by G Gallagher, S Engle, R Krick,
J McPherson and J T Glatthaar (2014)
Although abolitionist Frederick Douglass promised that black men would make
excellent soldiers, it was essential for these first regiments to fight well, despite
only having had a few days military training. In a vicious assault by overwhelming
Confederate numbers at Milliken’s Bend, Louisiana in June 1863, the white
soldiers fled but the black troops stood fast demonstrating their bravery and
commitment to the Union cause. Military service was a thrilling event in their
lives, especially for former slaves. ‘I felt like a man’ recalled one soldier, ‘with a
uniform on and a gun in my hand.’ It gave all serving soldiers a sense of
belonging to the United States. By the end of the war, almost 179,000 black men
had served in the Union army and another 20,000 had enlisted in the navy. This
was critical to Union victory. Lincoln recognised their contribution with high
praise when he declared that their service was indispensable to Union victory.