As the Civil War began in 1861 the United States Northerners and Southerners disputed due to several political reasons including but not entirely subject to slavery Although slavery was known to be a great cause of the War it wasn t the central basis Early in the Civil War Northern Unionists rivaled against the Confederate South hoping to preserve the Union and ensure it remained intact Meanwhile the South fought to preserve their inviolable states rights which included slavery and promote westward expansion of slavery However the focus and course of the Civil War shifted as it progressed African Americans shaped the course of the Civil War as the Union recognized their usefulness and possible contributions to its cause African Americans had also shaped the consequences following the War as they demanded equality and suffrage realizing very little had changed regarding equality Meanwhile their social situation slightly improved in the North African Americans shaped the course of the Civil War as Northern Unionists began to recognize their potential assistance in the rebellion Early in the war thousands of slaves fled north to Union borders seeking protection from the Confederate South They sought to escape forced labor including building river fortifications by the Confederates This in return made the federal government confront the issue of slavery One proposition that was made by Benjamin Butler was Contraband of War Document A This insisted that African Americans could contribute to the Union in several useful capacities and marked a point where African Americans shaped the course of the Civil War Free Blacks declared by Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation altered the course of the War as they willingly participated in the military dug up trenches and became cooks and servants in favor of the Union since the call of our suffering country is too loud and imperative to be unheeded Document B
