8th Grade SOS #21

The Emancipation Proclamation Through Different Eyes

Issued after the battle of Antietam, a bloody battle in which Union forces claimed victory, the document raised the stakes for both the Confederacy and the Union. European nations, which had abolished slavery, were now less likely to recognize the rebellious Southern government. Free blacks in the North welcomed the added moral dimension to the conflict and joined the U.S. army in increasing numbers. With the subsequent passage of the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865, the promise of the Proclamation was kept, as four million people were freed from bondage, and chattel slavery came to an end.

Using your textbook, read the Emancipation Proclamation (A14), and respond to the document through the eyes of various Americans of the time.  You are assigned the group by the first letter of your last name. 

A-C = enslaved people, D-F = free blacks in the North, G-I = abolitionists, J-L = plantation owner in the South, M-O = Union soldiers, P-S = Confederate soldiers, T-V = factory workers in the North, W-Z = factory owners

1. Identify the group your person represents.
2. Prepare a brief biography of your person.
3. Speaking as that person, explain how you would have viewed slavery.
4. Speaking as that person, explain whether or not you would have supported the Emancipation Proclamation.
5. State one argument that a person from one of the other groups would have given in response to your point of view.

40 comments:

  1. 1. Free Blacks in the North.
    2. Blacks in the North probably didn't get treated as equal as whites in the North. They probably hated slavery in the South. They probably didn't get many high paying jobs. They were shunned.
    3. As a free black in the North, I hate slavery. It should never have existed. Blacks are normal people just like whites are. We all have the same blood and same features, and same feelings, just different skin color.
    4. I 100% agree with the Emancipation Proclamation. I am very proud of Mr. Lincoln for helping our kind. I probably would have wanted Lincoln to take action a little sooner, but better late than never.
    5. Union Soldiers would agree with the views of a Free Black that there shouldn't have been slavery. The Union soldiers were all white so they probably didn't like blacks. They wouldn't want to admit that they agree with blacks.

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  2. 1.Free Blacks in the North
    2.The blacks don't get treated the same as white usually.. so the blacks in the north are treated way different than the whites.
    3.I wouldnt know what to do becasue you can have family,friends,and or anyone you know.. knowing that there slaves kinda makes me sick because you know what they have to go through.
    4.I would because its saying to free them and everyone knows it stinks.. so they want them to have the best.
    5.They would think that slaves are suppose to be put through stuff.. and its not right for them to be free.

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  3. 1. I'M NULL, I'M AN UNION SOLDIER

    2.I SERVE IN THE ARMY THE UNION ARMY.

    3.I HATE SLAVERY AND IT'S WRONG TO KEEP SLAVES AS WORKERS,IT'S TERRORABLE HOW THEIR TREATING THE SLAVES.

    4.I WOULD SUPPORT THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION SO THE SLAVES CAN BE FREE FOR ONCE IN THEIR LIVES.

    5.NO ONE SHOULD WORK FOR SOMEONE ELSE THAT IS JUST CRUEL AND IT MAKES ME SICK AND I JUST HATE IT

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  4. Peasent Wuffa (Salem Snoop)January 19, 2012 at 11:54 AM

    1. I am a Confederate soldier.

    2. The confederate soldier wants to protect the rights to own slaves for the whites and if they lost the war they would have to work and they don't want to.

    3. The soldier would want slavery because that is how they get a living and keep their family healthy and happy.

    4. The soldier would not support the Empancipation Proclamation because that means they would make the slaves free and they couldn't make a living and keep their family healthy and happy.

    5.The Union soldier would want this because they are fighting for the freedom of slaves and they would want to have the slaves on their army because they need more people to join and a quarter of them died at Antietam. They need the people.

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  5. 1. Confederate soldier
    2. I work for Lincolns army and the work is hard but the pay is good. I am busy in the battlefield and off. Whether it be cleaning dishes or guns and cooking or preparing outfits for battle. Or setting up camp, keeping it tidy, and taking it down when we move camps.
    3. Slavery is good to get work done. It is unjust to the slaves.
    4. I support the Emancipation Proclamation because Lincoln, my leader, issued it. It also means that we will win the war with more soldiers.
    5. If it were someone else they might have said that they disagreed because in a way the freed slaves would've still been slaves to the army shooting adversaries until their death or his own death.

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  6. 1) I'm a Confederate Soldier

    2) Confederate Soldier- I like slavery and I don't want the President to order the emancipation proclamation to free the slaves. I fight in battle and live with my wife and 3 kids. I have a high class rank and greatly respected in my line of duty.

    3) Slavery isn't a terrible thing and I wish it to continue. I have a slave at home with my wife and it takes a load off her shoulders.

    4) I will not support the emancipation proclamation because they get work done.

    5) It is unjust and should not be promited in this world. Nobody should be treated this way. (solider) this should be premitted in this country because they help with work. Nobody should treat them nice!!!!!!!!!!

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  7. 1. Slave
    2. Poorly treated, work from sun up and sun down.
    Don't know how to read or write. Just two other slaves and I. A few weeks ago, our owner went to
    fight. We live in his huge house, too scared to leave the land though. My name is Lebron.
    3. Slavery is just bad, I want to move north and fight,but we aren't free yet.
    4. I support it,because makes me free and I can go fight.
    5.Plantation owner, we say no because slaves are they're workers and make them poor.

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  8. 1. Abolitionists

    2. I would work on a farm. I live in the Union States and hate slavery. I would go fight in the war on the Union side if I was a male.

    3. I hate slavery and think it's wrong 100%. I would not have anything to do with slavery.

    4. I would support the Emancipation Proclamation all the way and in force it.

    5. A plantation owner in the South would say it would be okay to have slavery because you don't have to do all the work yourself.

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  9. 1.Enslaved person
    2.I don't own anything and i live in poor conditions.
    3.It is a bad thing that needed to end.
    4.I like it and think its a great thing and freed slaves should go and fight for the union.
    5.plantation owners woulden't agree because they would like slaves for free labor and it would be hard to make a living.

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  10. Question 1: T-V Factory Worker

    Question 2:My name's Tom. I live in the North and work at a large iron producing company. I am poor and work very long, hard hours. I have a family, but it is very hard to take care of them with such a small pay.

    Question 3:I don't believe in slavery. Those blacks are just like me, overworked and both of us get payed very little or not at all.

    Question 4:As much as I dislike slavery, I don't want the Emancipation Proclamation. If the slaves come to the factory looking for job, whats going to happen? I tell you whats going to happen. The boss is going to hire them, then he is going to pay them even less than me. Then he is going to get rid of the people who have a higher pay so its cheaper to run the factory. What's going to happen to me? I am going to lose my job, then I will be stuck in the streets. I also will not be able to take care of my family.

    Question 5: My boss, the factory owner disagrees with me. Of course. He would love to get rid of me and pay less to the blacks. He is just a rich, lazy, fat, pampered cow. He has no feeling and cares of nothing of his workers. If I could work somewhere else, believe me, I would!

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  11. I am Joe Jackson a free black.

    I live in the Union states. I work as a manufacturer making muskets and musket balls for the Union army. I work long hours for minimum pay. I am glad to have a job and work for a man who believes in freedom.

    I believe slavery to be a horrible thing and the war is a good cause because it is freeing my brothers and sisters who are working on plantations in the South.

    I support Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation because God would have wanted this for His people. People are treated poorly and should not be owned by anyone else.

    Plantation owners might not agree with me because they own people and treat them poorly (living conditions, abuse, etc.) The plantation owner needs workers to make his farm wealthy but believes he needs to punish us when we don't produce. The Emancipation Proclamation doesn't harvest his crops.

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  12. 1:

    2:In the Civil War, lost loved ones, the president was trying to stop the war.
    3:I thought it wasn't fair to the blacks, because they never did anything wrong and its wrong to be judged and treated pourly just because of their color. I thought that slavery should of ended.
    4:Yes, i would of because i would want everyone to be treated to same because were all the same just some of us have different a different color of skin.
    5:They would of argued my face because they wanted people to work from them so they wouldn't have to do anything for them selfs.

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  13. 1. I am an Abolitionist
    2. An abolitionist is someone who supports anti-slavery. They are sided with the Union and they would do anything to free the slaves.
    3. I view slavery as disgusting. They are men just like us. If you were a slave, how would that make you feel? You would probably say to yourself that I feel insecure, I feel like an animal.
    4. The Emancipation Proclamation is good but bad. It tells you that President Lincoln is on his way to freeing the slaves but this document isn't exactly freeing them.
    5. Plantation owners in the South. They would probably be outraged about my point of view because they own slaves of their own! They are most likely thinking that the slaves are of no importance to them but it is to us! After all, all men are created equal.

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  14. 1. I am a plantaion owner in the south.

    2.MY name is Jhon Thorman,I live in the south on my plantaion with my wife and three children. I enharited my plantaion from my father who enharited it from his father. I own over 150 slaves. I treat my salves as any other slave owner, i beat them when needed and provide them with small shakes to live in and enough food.

    3. I view slavery as my way of life, my father was a plantaion owner as was his father before him. slavery is as big part of my life as waking up and eating breakfast in the morning.

    4.I do not support the Emancipation Proclomation!
    Two main resons are
    A. It would completly destroy my life style.
    B. Slaves are not people they are saveges only good for working the fields not contributing to society!

    5.A argument from a free slave: African americans are people and we desurve to be treated like the people we are. And I havd been contrubuting to socitey the moment i was free.

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  15. Gage Michael Kray :)January 19, 2012 at 2:00 PM

    1.I am known as a plantation owner in the South.

    2. My guy is definitely not a cool cat, he's got a lot of money. Somewhat a loner, known as the "Lone Wolf" ;)

    3. Slavery is basically a way of life for me. My dad was a plantation owner, and so was my grandfather.

    4. No I do not agree with the Emancipation Proclomation. It would ruin my life, take away all of my money, and yeah.

    5. From an african american: I believe that we should all be treated like normal human beings and who cares if my skin is darker than "normal people" we're people too.

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  16. 1. enslaved people
    2. no pay, no choice, no life. has to do what is told or severely punished. works day and night.
    3. well considering the fact that i would be enslaved i would hate it and find it unfair.
    4. i would support it because even though its not complete freedom at least i would be in somewhat of a better condition.
    5. argument from a free slave; maybe they would say that since they are already free they are taking away some of there freedom by making them go into war and fight.

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  17. 1. factory owner

    2. I am rich and i don't care about working conditions, i only care about how much money the company is making and the product.

    3. I have no strong view of slavery but i would side with the union so we can get some more workers up north so company's can make more money.

    4. I would support the Emancipation Proclamation because it would free slaves so they can choose what they want to do for work.

    5. an arguement would be between me and a plantation owner because i want them to be free but he wants them so he can still farm.

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  18. 1. I am a confederate soldier.
    2. I agree with slavery and I will fight for whats right for my country. I may own slaves or even a plantation.
    3. I am all for slavery and I would rather own slaves and have them do my work for me.
    4. I do NOT and never will support the Emancipation Proclamation because if slaves are free and running around the country will just not function right!
    5. Union Soldier: You are absolutely wrong, this WILL make our country better and this will bring peace among our people in the country. Slaves are people too and they deserve this respect.

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  19. 1.My last name is Almandinger so I am an enslaved person.
    2. My grandparents came from western Africa as slaves, so we are a generation of slaves.I'm owned by a plantation owner in South Carolina. I work 12 hours a day with no pay or remorse.
    3. Of course I hate slavery! I'm beaten, poorly fed, fend for myself, and I am a slave!
    4. I 100% support the Emancipation Proclamation. If it means I have to enlist in the military, so be it. If it means I'll be free, I don't care.
    5. I think a plantation owner would argue with me, because without me, he would have no harvest. Of course he could get off his lazy butt and do it himself, except he wouldn't bring that.

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  20. 1. Slave.

    2. We work long days, not fair treatment, force to work against our will, hard/harsh working conditions.

    3. We just think it would be good to end. It's not fair treatment and we are being worked against our will.

    4. I very greatly would:) It's a great thing for our part and our slave owners wouldn't agree, but us hard working slaves would.

    5. Plantation owners would hate about agreeing with it. They like that they get free labor for themselves and they wouldn't agree about letting us slaves go. They think they are right and they can keep us and keep us working for no pay at all.

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  21. 1. Identify the group your person represents.
    Enslaved people.

    2. Prepare a brief biography of your person.
    I am a slave. I have no money and I am forced to work.

    3. Speaking as that person, explain how you would have viewed slavery.
    I am a slave so I despise slavery. It is wrong and everyone is equal. I want everyone to be no matter what race or color of the skin.

    4. Speaking as that person, explain whether or not you would have supported the Emancipation Proclamation.
    I support the emancipation proclamation because even though i am not free right now its nice to know that other people like me are. I know one day everyone will be free.

    5. State one argument that a person from one of the other groups would have given in response to your point of view.
    The plantation owners would disagree with me because then they would have to pay there workers and make less profit.

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  22. 1. I am a Confederate soldier since my last name starts with an R.
    2. I am a soldier who fights to keep slavery. It has been a part of our lives for quite some time. And I believe that the North has no right to try and take that away from us. That should be a decision for the South to make. I fight for what I believe is right.
    3. I agree with having slavery. It is a part of my life and that's why my friends and I are out here fighting. We are fighting to maintain something that is a part of our every day lives. Slavery helps my life so that I don't have to do everything.
    4. I don't support the Emancipation Proclamation what so ever! The North has no right to try and black mail the slaves into coming to there side and fighting for them. It is wrong, and should not be tolerated.
    5. An argument that could erupt would be between a Union soldier and I. They would say that slavery is wrong, and that it should not exist.

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  23. 1. My last name is Walter so I am a factory owner.
    2. Factory workers don't care about the healthiness or safety of the factory workers. I also only care about work not about any of my workers.
    3. I think slavery should be allowed in the Union because I could get more workers and pay them for less than I am paying them now.
    4. I do not agree with the Emancipation Proclamation because our factories could be more efficient with more workers.
    5. An argument from a slave: I deserve the same rights as everyone else in the Union just because we look different doesn't mean you need to treat us differently.

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  24. 1. Identify the group your person represents.
    I am a Abolitionists
    2. Prepare a brief biography of your person.
    An abolitionists is a person who's againest slavery. (anti-slavery)
    3. Speaking as that person, explain how you would have viewed slavery. I think slavery is horrible. Nobody should have to be put through all that hard work because of the color of their skin.

    4. Speaking as that person, explain whether or not you would have supported the Emancipation Proclamation. It's a bad idea. it has good ideas behind it, but its used for the wrong reasons.

    5. State one argument that a person from one of the other groups would have given in response to your point of view. Factory owners because they probably think it's a good idea because they would possibly get more workers and either wouldn't pay them or barely anything.

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  25. ^_^Anastasia Orend ^_^January 19, 2012 at 2:03 PM

    1. Identify the group your person represents.
    Anastasia,Orend a union soldier
    2. Prepare a brief biography of your person.
    union soldiers fight in the war rarely home to see family.
    3.Speaking as that person, explain how you would have viewed slavery. I would have viewed slavery by its not good i do not think its right ,and i feel that people should not be enslaved like animals be in cages.
    4.Speaking as that person, explain whether or not you would have supported the Emancipation Proclamation. yes, i would support the Emancipation Proclamation. Because i live in the north as a free person who thinks that it is wrong to have people enslaved!
    5. State one argument that a person from one of the other groups would have given in response to your point of view. i think the confederate soldiers would argue because they want slaves for them to do work there work so they can baseicaly be lazy and sit around and do nothing

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  26. 1. enslaved person
    2. I am an African whos parents where sold to America. I was a buffalo soldier named Tjoiaj. I dont like white people from the south who take my people.
    3. I dont like slavery at all. It is Awful I dont like when they take my people and the way they are treated.
    4. I support it because im a slave and I dont want to be. I dont think any one can like it. when i am free i will open up a food place called KFC.
    5. A person argument some one could say is that i dont have a choice about being a slave. That they who owns slaves will like it. I think they would say that my KFC would never become a good place to eat.

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  27. 1. I'm an abolitionist.
    2. My name is Algaff Yenffag. I am looking to get slavery abolished. I hate slavery and I think it's inhumane.
    3. I believe slavery is totally wrong. I think that slavery should be abolished. I think it is very wrong to treat fellow human beings like animals.
    4. I completely support the Emancipation Proclamation. I am glad that it is giving slaves a reason to rebel against their inhumane owners. I hope one day to get rid of slavery everywhere.
    5. I think we need slavery. We need someone to do our hard work. And I spent good money for my slave

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  28. 1. I am the free blacks in the north
    2. Treated equal, free in the north, welcome to the union army/navy, not forced to work on plantations.
    3. I thunk that if blacks in the north are treated fair then so should blacks in the south. It seams more fair that way.
    4. I would of supported the Emancipation Proclamation since I already think that all of use should be free.
    5. Confederate soldiers: "Well if you think that all should be free why don't you come face me in the war and I will set that straight."

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  29. 1. I am a factory owner.
    2. I don't care about you. The Emancipation Proclamation, now that's what I'm ecstatic about. You know how much cheaper I can pay all those new Southerners, coming from working with no pay? Pretty dang cheap, I tell you. Maybe I'll even pay my already working employees less. The more money for me, the better.
    3. Slavery, everything is wrong with it. You need to pay your workers, even if it is the bare minimum. Every business owner knows that. To get some, you have to give some. Slavery is wrong.
    4. I completely support the Emancipation Proclamation, cannot wait until it is fully applied. My business will be booming.
    5. Someone might say to me, "You may gain money, workers, and wealth, but I lose all my workers on my plantation." This I would consider a valid argument.

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  30. 1.I am a confederate soldier

    2. Gets treated well for being in the war and fighting for there own country, gets paid well for helping its own country, but has a risk in dieing because of fighting in the war.

    3. I don't think my person would want slavery at all because some wars have to deal with fighting for slavery and no one wants to fight and have a good chance of dieing just because of slavery.

    4. Yes i would have gone with the Emancipation Proclamation because no one wants to have slavery. I do not agree with slavery at all because what is so hard about just going out to your corn field and working? i just dont find it very hard.

    5.

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  31. 1. I'm an enslaved person.
    2. Black slavers were not treated at all like equals they would be physically and brutally punished if they were caught trying to escape or did not do there job right.
    3. I hate like slavery it's cruel and not right we are forced to work harder than we physically can and we have to do that every day for our entire lives while our owners don't do anything but punish us.
    4. I would support the proclamation because i would rather fight for what is right than be enslaved anymore id rather take the chance to be killed in action than killed of being punished or of old age knowing that i could have done something.
    5. The plantation owners might have said or lied about what we say saying that the do the exact opposite and treat us good because we have no sya in anything as slaves.

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  32. 1. I am enslaved.
    2. I am fourteen and I have served my whole life being a slave for my master in Tennessee.
    3. I hate slavery. We all loo the same with out color and we were all the same, so I believe everyone is equal.
    4. I half way support the Emancipation Proclamation because I like how they will free us but we would have to fight and I would probable lose my brother and my dad.
    5. I would have an argument with a confederate solider because the could capture my family and hurt them.

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  33. 1.Confederate Soldier.
    2.I am a true fan of slavery and if Mr.President passes the emancipation I and my army will be very upset.
    3.I think slavery is wonderful and a great way to push your work to other people so you can relax and they can do it for you.
    4.I fully go against the emancipation and I don't even think it should be a thought in ones mind.
    5.One argument I think that would be held would be from the union. It would be the union would have said I view the emancipation as a great idea and your view is wrong.

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  34. 1. I am a Confederate Soldier.
    2. I am a young man who has worked and lived on a farm all my life and have only seen a gun in my fathers hands used for hunting.
    3. I have never had a strong liking or disliking for slavery. I am not fighting this war for slavery but for the rich men that want to keep slavery. If this war could end by the abolishment of slavery, I would have it that way.
    4. I can and will fully support this proclamation sent out by Mr. Lincoln if that helps this war to end. This proclamation doesn't sit well in the eyes of my father but he has never seen my side of things. This letter does seem like a good idea, yes.
    5. An argument from the plantation owner could be that I am too young to understand such complicated matters as that of slavery. The rich man may also say that the Southern way of life could be in danger if our northern enemies destroy slavery.

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  35. 1. i am a union soldier

    2.i am a union soldier in the war and have lost friends and family in the war.

    3.i view slavery as unfair to the African Americans.

    4.i support the Emancipation Proclamation because we need more men with rifles in the war.

    5.i think the enslaved people will not think it is fair because they would might want to be free. not to be free and fight

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  36. 1. i am an enslaved person.
    2. i have lived my life working on plantations, my owner beats me, and i get little food. my life has been very rough, and i dont get treated like a human.
    3. Slavery is terrible, everyone should be treated equally. Everyone is human, so it shouldn't matter what skin color you are.
    4. i support it because i know people are getting freed, and someday i will be free too. it is nice to know that people care.
    5. Plantation workers would disagree because they'd have to pay and have less profit. also, they are too lazy to do there own work..

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  37. 1) I am an enslaved person.

    2) I am a 13-year-old slave in Georgia. I was born a slave and I have three younger sisters and two older brothers. My mom works in our owner's house and is in charge of cleaning. My father and my brothers work in the peach field while my sisters and I sew clothes for our owners children and family.

    3) I am not very happy about slavery. We never have enough to eat, have long working hours, and we have very poor living conditions.

    4) I fully support Mr. Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. it would mean freedom for our whole family and we would be able to reunite with our family in the North.

    5) A plantation owner in the South, like our owner, would be appalled and furious with the act. He would no longer have free labor and he would have to pay people to work for him. He would most likely keep us in threats of revenge.

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  38. 1.I am an abolitionist.
    2.I live in the union states,and I support the union.
    3. My opinion of slavery is that I think it's wrong,and i would like to get rid of it.
    4. i think it is a great idea because we need more soldiers so we can win the war.
    5. confederate soldier- I think that it is a bad idea because the union will get more soldiers.

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  39. 1. I am a plantation owner in the south
    2. I am a plantation owner with who lives with his family, when my father passed away he put in his will that he entrusted me to take over the plantation and become successful and have my family which i have brought together.
    3. my view of slavery is bad and is terrible, I would not buy people to do my job I would be nice and higher them, I hate slavery.
    4.I would support the Emancipation Proclomation because slavery should have never started and should have never came up and is very bad.
    5. Free slaves, we blacks that you think are so different name one thing that is different about us exept color you make fun of our color what if we did that what if we made you slaves??

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  40. 1. I am a Confederate soldier.
    2. I am in favor of slavery and I work under Stonewall Jackson.
    3. I strongly believe in slavery because without them, who will do all the work. Certenly not us.
    4. Of course I don't support the emacipation proclamation! Who will do all the work around the house? I don't believe they even have any rights.
    5. A slave would have said that they have as much rights as anyone else. They would be in favor of the emancipation Proclamation.

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