Activist Abolitionists and the Experiment of Civil War New Orleans 1862-1865

Activist Abolitionists and the Experiment of Civil War New Orleans 1862-1865 Abstract This essay examines the efforts of both white and black activist abolitionists in New Orleans during Union occupation of the Civil War. Their altruistic efforts and experimental approaches, though imperfect and riddled with mistakes, offered practical help and long-needed hope for formerly enslaved people. New Orleans was home to11,000 free black and Creole citizens, many of whom were wealthy and respected community members. Their leaders became advocates for themselves and for the influx of thousands of newly arrived contrabands. As numbers of contrabands grew in the city, freeborn blacks were sometimes shocked to be treated with the same disrespect as their formerly-enslaved counterparts, who were considered vagrants in the city. Christian abolitionist military leaders documented the physical condition of self-emancipators and advocated for compassionate treatment of people of color. They encouraged church attendance and education opportunities. Abolitionist photographers produced images of enslaved people and distributed them in Northern states in order to raise funds for education. Christian ministers delivered fiery denouncements of slavery to slaveholding audiences. Each day in New Orleans during Union occupation presented social and cultural variables affecting outcomes of experiments in equality conducted by both white and black abolitionists.