The African Americans themselves, apart from all other abolitionists, soldiers and politicians, had successfully attempted to gain freedom of rights throughout the Civil War. This point can be made stronger during the battle at Fort Wagner on July 18, 1863, which was operated by the black soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. The Civil War Battle Stations states that “the battle affected public opinion in the North, with more citizens recognizing the contributions of African-American soldiers…” The African Americans had led a battle in victory purely by themselves; they had proved their significance and thus affected the stereotypical views that white people had on them. Their efforts in Fort Wagner have shined through, giving them evidence and proof that African Americans were as equally worthy as white people. Many black soldiers took advantage of the changing public opinion and requested equal treatment, specifically for equal pay as white men to President Lincoln. James Henry Gooding, a Black Corporal in Massachusetts, was among them. He had sent a letter to Lincoln, noting all the extreme sacrifices and duties that the black soldiers paid to the Union. In the letter, he says, “The Regt, do pray, that they be assured their service will be fairly appreciated, by paying them as american SOLDIERS, not as menial hierlings.” Goodling, representing all black soldiers who were born free and therefore ”capable” of acting for themselves like whites, assures the uniformity among all American soldiers. Even African Americans who were not soldiers, like the mother of a Northern Black Soldier named Hannah Johnson, pleaded for equal treatment by writing a letter to Lincoln. She has claimed that Lincoln “must put the Rebels to work in State prisons to making shoes and things, if they sell our colored soldiers, till they let them go,” because she believes that all people should face equal consequences. In addition, African Americans with considerable social status, like Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Booth, a widow of Major Booth, did not hesitate to raise her voice for equal treatment. Her concerned voice has made President Lincoln consider the African American’s rights for “the benefits of the provisions the widows and orphans of white soldiers.” By the fact that Lincoln had considered and enacted the requests of many African Americans into real life, like the one suggested by Ms. Johnson, it is clear that the public was reacting to the movement for equal rights created by the blacks. This point can be made stronger by the Emancipation Proclamation that Lincoln passed, on top of the Contraband Act, which declared escaped slaves or those who affiliated with Union forces as legally free. Similarly to the Act, the Proclamation states that “…all persons held as slaves within any State in rebellion against the United States, shall be forever free…” However, even though all enslaved people were now legally free, it was all up to the black people themselves in order for them to be truly freed, especially for the slaves in the South. Many of the Confederate states and the border states were unhappy about the new Proclamation because slavery was still a crucial part of their economy. Plantation owners wanted to keep the slaves, which could have left a significant population of slaves unnotified of the new law. Even if they were aware, their fate entirely depended on their ability to escape from their former owners. Therefore, African Americans were the primary reason why equal rights were given to all Americans, though it could have not been possible with the efforts made by Lincoln and other authorities.
