It was not my intention to minimize the sacrifice those soldiers made. It is also not an act of prejudice because there were black soldiers fighting and dying with the Union as well. But to pretend that most northerners were abolitionists hell-bent on ending slavery is a falsehood. At the end of the day it was about political power, the same as it is today.

It was a step toward ending slavery and I’m grateful for the sacrifice that all those soldiers made.