Andy+Nouanemanivong

=Name: Ryu - Union Soldier I am 15 Years old Living in Danbury CT. Reason for entering war is to get my friend back.This whole war is about //slavery,//Over people who are forced to work for slobs like Calhoun!? We are going to knock some sense into those southern pigs, and anyone who stands in my way will be killed!= =A page from the journal of= = = ==Entry Number 1: April 12, 1863 - Its been a horrible year for blacks who lived in the north. Federal officers have been cracking down on innocent people like they were gold, then bring them back to the to the south to be "put back into circulation".The Fugitive Slave Act has really torn people apart, from their homes, familys, and everyone who actually has a heart. When this went into affect my friend Drew, who was a fugitive, was so scared, he didnt know what to do or who to turn to so i let him stay at my house. My parents never minded Drew staying over but now since he was a wanted man they hid him in the attic.When we thought he was safe the federal officers knocked at my door. My father answerd the door and the officer told him he was breaking the law. My father soon realized that he was talking about Drew. My father struck the officer and the second officer shot my father down and he died instantly. My mother was screaming then she was shot in too. The officers ran up to the attic and captured Drew, he was shouting "please dont take me i didnt do anything!". I was watching in horror from my closet as my simple life was turned upside down. My parents were killed and my best friend was taken away. I then figured out that i had to get Drew back and get revenge for the death of my parents. I then enlisted in the Union Army.==

==Entry Number 2: May 31, 1863, So far camp has been really hard. I told them i was 20 years old and they work me like a bull on a plow! Camp is also really boaring and the only fun we get is playing cards or shooting cans when we get more ammo. Today I turn 16 and Ulysses S. Grant came to our humble camp. He says he needs our troops to participate in stopping the Rebels from entering through Gettysburg. Ulysses was a pushy man. He told everybody what to do, and when he fought at Shiloh he lost nearly all his men. Other than that he pulls through almost every battle he fought he won and i respect him for that. Tomarrow we march to Gettysburg and we finally can kill thouse southern pigs.==

==Entry Number 3:June 4, 1870, Gettysburg was a total massacre and i was in hell. On the first day we arrived we met up with General Meade and he told us to flank the confederate troops. I had no idea what to do so i followed Capt. Andrews to the flanking position,but as we arrived capt. Andrews was shot in the head by sniper fire, it was like watching the murder of my parents all over again. We were 93,000 strong but now we lost one fifth of our men. Day two wasnt any different the confederate army fought reall hard and pushed our troops back while he gained more territory. We retreated once again and waited for the next day. Finally the third day came and we were fighting harder than we did the other two days.We killed with every shot and Lee just kept pushing his forces north towards us. When they finally reached us Meade unleashed hell on them with the bombartment of our artillary strike. All you heard was dying men and the sound of the artillary smacking the ground. Lee and his army reatreated and fled Pennsylvania. We finally did it and slaves were finally set free. Lee and his men surrendered in Virginia and the war was over. I finally rescued Drew at a plantation that was torn apart by the war and we finally returned home. This chapter of my life was over.==

1. How does one's understanding of slavery affect his understanding of the people and events of the 1850s and 1860s?
It effects them because they had to have known what they were fighting for. If they were a plantation owner it would effect their crops or if they were an abolitionist they were fighting for freedom towards slaves.

2. Why would slavery ever be condoned in the United States?
I think they would allow slavery to happen because they were selfish and only had a greed for money.

3. Was the Civil War the only means to end slavery in the United States?
I think so, because when the south wanted slaves they took action with the Fugitive slave act, so the north has to call a war to stop this.

4. What are some of the long-term effects of slavery that are linked to the people and events of the past?
Yes there are still people who are racist towards blacks and there are still people in the south who still believe in the confederate ways.