Slave revolt during the Civil War

Is it possible?

If so, how would the North react to it? Considering that such revolt would not be without bloodshed of the White population. In post-Civil War Southern states, would the grudge against the former slaves be bigger than OTL?
 
Lincoln had to defend the Emancipation Proclamation precisely against accusations that it was meant to incite "the horrors of servile insurrection"--something feared not only by Copperheads but by War Democrats and many Republicans.

So far as even pro-war and relatively non-racist white northerners were concerned, the "proper" way for slaves to help the war effort was by escaping to Union lines and enlisting in the Union Army (under white commanders of course...) if they could.
 

Dolan

Banned
It would tarnish Lincoln's reputation greatly. He would be remembered as President who killed innocent southren farmers and plantation owner by his malicious plot to induce the slave insurrection.

Racial relations would be far worse than OTL, perhaps a territory would be ceded as a Black State?
 
What makes large-scale rebellions unlikely: If the Union Army wasn't near, slave rebellions were likely to be suicidal (as the slaves well knew). If the Union Army was near, escaping to Union lines offered better prospects of winning one's freedom.
 
Unlikely, as many slaves were not educated sufficiently to understand the nature of their bondage.
 
Slave culture had memories of previous attempts at slave revolts and what happened. Where such revolts succeeded, like Haiti, or at a minimum caused major issues for slaveholders, you had slave populations that significantly outnumbered the slave owners so that the military advantages were literally overwhelmed. Not the case in the south prewar, and certainly not so during the war. Yes, it might cause some diversion of military effort away from the front which might, or might not, make a significant difference. No matter what it would result in a blood bath for any blacks in the area of the revolt, and other negative results elsewhere. Slavery was bad, it could be made worse - segregation of male slaves in barracks and chained up at night only one example. Additionally, it would be inevitable that the slave revolt would result in actions against whites including murder of men, women, and children, rapes, burning of houses etc that while completely understandable in reaction to the sufferings of the slaves, would hurt the cause of blacks in the postwar period - seen as "irredeemable savages" and potentially lead to forced emigration.

If such a rebellion was officially sponsored by the Union, the Confederates might try many more Union officers under the charge of inciting a servile revolt or simply shoot more soldiers as was the case with white officers in black units.

IMHO overall a slave revolt would be a bad thing both short and long term.
 
Unlikely, as many slaves were not educated sufficiently to understand the nature of their bondage.

This doesn't make any sense. You don't need a college education to know that you're being forced to work against your will and sexually and physically abused. There are numerous examples of slaves without formal educations protesting their treatment.
 
This doesn't make any sense. You don't need a college education to know that you're being forced to work against your will and sexually and physically abused. There are numerous examples of slaves without formal educations protesting their treatment.

“I freed a thousand slaves I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.”...Harriet Tubman
 
Unlikely for numerous reasons. First, Lincoln did not want to incite servile insurrection, as useful a side effect that might be to the war effort, it would tarnish his reputation and grant his enemies a huge propaganda boon. Secondly, both Southern whites and blacks had memories of slave revolts, and they were overwhelmingly negative. For the slavers it was the fact that they tended to be brutal nasty events, for the slaves it was that the explicit threat of annihilation was hanging over their heads.

The reason there weren't many slave revolts to begin with was because the system was designed to prevent them. Even when it was thoroughly possible for slaves to revolt during the war (lack of overseers, men away from home, ect) few slaves did so because of a generational fear of retribution. Southern society made the price of revolt too high, and the pervasive attitude of fear amongst slaves meant that it was unlikely to happen.
 
A lot depends on where and when the slave revolt is.
if the slaves in states in the Union rebels,(Maryland, Missouri, Delaware, and Kentucky) that would be interesting.
 
“I freed a thousand slaves I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.”...Harriet Tubman

There were several hundred slaves plots and uprisings. I think the slaves very much knew they were slaves.

What is the context of that statement?
 
Unlikely, as many slaves were not educated sufficiently to understand the nature of their bondage.
Slave revolts had happened, succeeded, and mostly failed for close to 400 years by the time of the Civil War. There was oral history at minimum.
 
There were several hundred slaves plots and uprisings. I think the slaves very much knew they were slaves.

What is the context of that statement?
She was frustrated that she couldn't convince some slaves to opt for freedom because they were afraid to walk away from their sustenance. Harriet Tubman was, in fact, a slave who escaped to freedom and faces the uphill battle to educate herself and pursue abolition.
 
She was frustrated that she couldn't convince some slaves to opt for freedom because they were afraid to walk away from their sustenance. Harriet Tubman was, in fact, a slave who escaped to freedom and faces the uphill battle to educate herself and pursue abolition.

The context isn't that they didn't know they were slaves, it's that they realized slavery, while terrible, was (to most)* preferable to running off and dying in the wilderness with no food. Considering the conditions of the day, it's really a pragmatic decision to not want to flee a plantation when you have no idea how you'll find food and shelter anywhere else.

*: There were also numerous examples of slaves preferring to commit suicide which should be noted.
 
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The context isn't that they didn't know they were slaves, it's that they realized slavery, while terrible, was preferable to running off and dying in the wilderness with no food. Considering the conditions of the day, it's really a pragmatic decision to not want to flee a plantation when you have no idea how you'll find food and shelter anywhere else.

To say nothing of the risk of getting caught and punished for it. It’s clear what she really meant was that some people weren’t as bold as she’d like, not that they were happy.
 
as the slaves well knew

Do all of them notice this? I mean honestly, I can think of some examples in the civil war of dumb people in the military. Whose to say we don't have dumb plantation owners (making it trivial to take advantage of even far from union lines) or dumb slaves (which means they can't do the math)? Or heck, even a group of slaves who think they had enough and would rather die trying? And in ancient times there were slave revolts, I don't see what makes that different here. Actually, since there are so many tales of cruelty inflicted of slaves in the Southern USA but less stories about Ottoman cruelty to their slaves, there is probably even less mental restriction on an escape attempt as slavery in the South is just that bad.

The context isn't that they didn't know they were slaves, it's that they realized slavery, while terrible, was (to most)* preferable to running off and dying in the wilderness with no food.

Plenty of people got the wrath of the mods for suggesting slavery was preferable to other conditions, even conditions that had probable death. And for that matter, many liberal ideologues would probably say slavery worse than trying the luck to get food.

To say nothing of the risk of getting caught and punished for it. It’s clear what she really meant was that some people weren’t as bold as she’d like, not that they were happy.

An estimate from Foote, Foner, and Blight of slaves that tried to escape "far" from Union lines (defined as seven days march, which means it's unlikely they knew help was close) suggested there were 3 successful escapes for every capture. This means the capture rate is well below 25% Either the South's slavers were incompetent boobs or were busy with other things. Like maybe dealing with the slaves that didn't run away. Or being evil. Or something other than trekking into the wilderness.
 
Healthy male slaves had the best chance of successfully escaping if away from Union lines. Although salve families were not legal or official, many slaves were in "relationships". While the man in the relationship might make it, encumbered with a woman and a child/children/infant the odds drop rapidly. Leaving the family and escaping could very well mean they are sold away, and potentially lost forever. Before the Emancipation Proclamation - and news thereof diffusing to a given plantation (when the slaveowners worked hard to prevent or at least slow) escaping north was not a freedom guarantee. The slave "telegraph" worked pretty well and the CSA losing, even slowly, was becoming obvious and especially for families or others who would have a difficulty making it any distance waiting for the boys in blue was the best idea.
 
An estimate from Foote, Foner, and Blight of slaves that tried to escape "far" from Union lines (defined as seven days march, which means it's unlikely they knew help was close) suggested there were 3 successful escapes for every capture. This means the capture rate is well below 25% Either the South's slavers were incompetent boobs or were busy with other things. Like maybe dealing with the slaves that didn't run away. Or being evil. Or something other than trekking into the wilderness.
Or fighting the war? There were frequent protests to the Confederate government about how so many overseers and slave patrollers had been drafted that planters were having trouble keeping their slaves under control. What's more, it's a lot easier to escape to the Union lines seven days (or ten days, or even twenty) away than escape all the way up to Canada.

In short, I think that recapture rate was a whole lot higher before the war.
 
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