Final answer:
The Second Contraband and Militia Act of July 1862 supported the Union cause by officially permitting the enlistment of African Americans, who became crucial contributors to the Union's manpower and symbol of the moral campaign against slavery. It also took advantage of the growing number of escaped slaves, known as contrabands, by not returning them to the South.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Second Contraband Act and the Militia Act of July 1862
The Second Contraband and Militia Act of July 17, 1862, was a significant legislation that aided the Union cause by officially allowing the enlistment of African Americans into federal military service. This act empowered President Abraham Lincoln to harness the potential of persons of African descent for any military purposes deemed beneficial for public welfare. It marked the beginning of a transformative phase in the Civil War, although Lincoln did not utilize this authority until the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.
Initially, escaped enslaved people, referred to as contrabands, were utilized for manual labor by Union forces. With the Emancipation Proclamation, the roles of African Americans expanded significantly, leading to over 190,000 enlisting as soldiers by the end of the war. Despite facing racism and often being relegated to non-combatant roles such as laborers, cooks, and trench diggers, the inclusion of African American troops boosted Union manpower and symbolized a turning point in the fight against slavery.
The importance of this act cannot be overstated, as it not only provided the Union with much-needed soldiers but also paved the way for African Americans to fight for their freedom and rights, further aligning the Union's war efforts with the moral quest of ending slavery. The move also weakened the Confederacy by officially sanctioning the escape of their enslaved labor force to the Union side, depleting the South of a significant portion of its workforce.