by Ira Berlin
First published 1993
The collapse of slavery during the Civil War opens a new struggle over what freedom means. Federal officials initially try to use former slaves as workers without transforming the conflict into a liberation war or taking responsibility for those unable to serve militarily. As the Union army grows dependent on black labor and destitute freedpeople multiply, authorities wrestle with questions of freedom, labor, and welfare. Former slaves pursue their own goals within the limits of war and occupation, building new lives as free people. They work to secure liberty, rebuild families, and establish institutions suited to freedom. The documentary evidence reveals how different regions of the Upper South experienced the emergence of free labor relations. Military necessity forces changes that officials never intended. The war destroys slavery but creates a contest over freedom's true meaning that extends far beyond the battlefield.
Genres: history, civil-war, 20th-century, non-fiction, 19th-century, american-history
Vibes: emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family
Setting: Upper South, Union Army
Period: 1861-1867
814 pages · Hardcover · Cambridge University Press
Content warnings: slavery