During the Civil War, many enslaved people in the South practiced 'self-emancipation' by:
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Correct answer: Fleeing to Union military lines and seeking protection as 'contraband of war'
As Union armies moved South, thousands of enslaved people escaped to Union camps. General Benjamin Butler famously classified them as 'contraband,' or seized property, to avoid returning them to their owners under the Fugitive Slave Act.
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More Emancipation and African Americans questions
- Which of the following best describes the role of African Americans in the Union Navy compared to the Army?
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- The Bureau of Colored Troops, established in May 1863, was created to:
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