The Northern Perspective
The Northern experience during the civil war was shaped by the belief that they had the moral high ground. First and foremost, in terms of the Union, many Northerners believed that the South had no right nor reason to secede, and that their unjustified rebellion would quickly and inevitably be put to an end by those who were in the right. Secondly, on the issue of slavery, many republican supporters in the North had come to realize the true atrocities of slavery through testimonies of escaped slaves such as Frederick Douglass, and by the work of white abolitionists. These 2 ideas gave everyone a unified concept of what they were fighting for, as well as a leader to rally behind who represented the union, the fight against slavery, true American roots, and much more: Abraham Lincoln. His inspiring words and ideals motivated the Union throughout the war. The Union also had the advantage of better industry, infrastructure such as railroads, and a massive population advantage that was bolstered by immigrants. In addition, blacks and slaves were allowed to fight for the Union, giving the advantage of even more men willing to die for the cause. The Union armies suffered many losses throughout the course of the war, but especially in the earlier year, in battle such as Fredericksburg and Bull Run, yet the tides turned at Gettysburg as they repelled the rebels and moved to total war tactics in the South. In the end, the Union was victorious, as the Southern states rejoined the Union, and slavery was abolished.
"Officers of the 69th Infantry New York, at Fort Corcoran, Virginia" -Mathew Brady
"The camp of the Tennessee Colored Battery" Taken during the Siege of Vicksburg at Johnsonville, Tennessee, in 1864. Library of congress.
"50th New York Engineers build a road on the south bank of the North Anna River" Taken near Jericho Mills, Virginia, on May 24, 1864. Timothy H. O'Sullivan, Library of Congress.
"President Lincoln visiting the battlefield at Antietam"- October 3, 1862. General McClellan and 15 of his men are shown. Photographed by Alexander Gardner. 165-SB-23.
"Gen. Ulysses S. Grant standing by a tree in front of a tent" Taken at Cold Harbor, Va, June 1864. 111-B-36.
"Frederick Douglass" ca. 1879. Born a slave in Maryland, Douglass escaped as a young man, eventually becoming an influential social reformer, a powerful orator and a leader of the abolitionist movement. Photographed by George K. Warren. The Atlantic.
"Harpers Ferry, W VA"- July 1865. High-angle view showing the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers. Photographed by James Gardner. 165-SB-26. Site of John Brown's attempted slave rebellion which heightened tensions towards war.
"Grand review of Union troops", May 23, 1865. Looking down Pennsylvania Avenue toward the Capitol. Artwork by James E. Taylor, July 1, 1881. 111-BA-69, This depiction of the time around the war's end was done well after the war
A picket station of Colored troops near Dutch Gap canal, Dutch Gap, Virginia, in November of 1864. Library of Congress
Stacked cannon balls, a view of an arsenal yard in Washington, D.C. Shows Northern industrial power.