Final answer:
General Benjamin Butler declared that escaped slaves reaching Union lines or captured would be considered 'contraband of war,' protecting them within Union territories and denying their labor to the Confederacy. This early Civil War policy led to the creation of 'contraband camps' and was a step towards freedom for many slaves.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the early years of the Civil War, General Benjamin Butler declared that escaped slaves who reached Union lines or were captured by Union troops would be considered 'contraband of war.' This term originated because Butler believed that since the Southern states had seceded from the Union, federal fugitive slave laws did not apply. Therefore, he was not obliged to return escaped slaves, instead offering them protection within Union lines and thereby denying the Confederacy their labor.In May 1861, Butler started this policy at Fortress Monroe, Virginia, arguing that escaped slaves could be seized in the same way as enemy property. This policy was later supported by Congress through the First Confiscation Act and led to the establishment of 'contraband camps' where the living conditions were poor. However, for many slaves, this represented a first step toward potential freedom. Over the course of the war, thousands of slaves sought refuge with Union forces, which had a significant impact on the labor resources available to the Confederacy and contributed to the Union war effort.Conclusions policy of treating escaped slaves as 'contraband of war' played an essential role in the Union's war strategy and set the stage for more formalized emancipation measures like the Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Lincoln on January 1, 1863. The approach taken by General Butler and others helped to redefine the status of enslaved individuals who had managed to escape to Union territory while the Civil War continued to unfold.