History-american violence-Discussion post

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Humanities

What mix of motivations led young American soldiers to Civil War battlefields? Did the emancipation of slaves matter? In “The War Will Never End Until We End Slavery,” James McPherson assesses the place of emancipation in the motivations of soldiers who enlisted in the Union cause. To what extent, he asks, did soldiers wager their lives to free slaves, to a cause they knew meant likely death?

Use these Related Documents as well: ATTACHED BELOW

  1. Isaiah H. Welch, A Black Soldier Explains His Motives for Fighting (1863)
  2. John A. Potter, Antiblack Prejudice in the Union Ranks (1897)
  3. Chauncey Welton, A Union Soldier’s Changing Views on Emancipation (1863-65)

Simple Discussion post, use the sources provided.