The Appeal of Racial Neutrality in the Civil War–Era North: German Americans and the Democratic New Departure

Civil War Settlers

“…but the document's ideological underpinningsslavery's immorality, infused with supposed superior Scandinavian morality in dealing with slaverywere not uncommon among educated Scandinavians and found their way to the public through C. N. David's writings in late 1839. 29 After praising the Danish monarch for being the first European regent to abolish the slave trade in 1792, David informed Danish readers that the native inhabitants of the African Gold Coast, despite the supposed civilizing influence from Europeans, had over time only become more unenlightened, more sinful, and more bestial because of the slave trade. 30 Though the Danish slave trade ban did not take effect until 1803, the decree served as the source of countless claims of moral superiority by Scandinavian authors in subsequent debates over slavery.…”

“…28 Moreover, in his first Senate speech in 1850, Seward expressed the view that white Europeans, what he called "the ruling homogeneous family planted at first on the Atlantic shore," was destined to spread "itself westward" through continued population growth. 29 Speaking in Saint Paul, Minnesota, an increasingly attractive locality for Scandinavian immigrants, a decade later Seward explicitly mentioned American expansion north, west, and south as part of a crosscontinent national project and reiterated the idea that "this is the land for the white man." 30 Seward, along with Wisconsin Senator James Doolittle, who spoke of "the great national policy which is to control this continent," also welcomed annexation of Cuba if slavery was abolished.…”

“…Among the Norwegian and Swedish volunteers who later served in the Civil War were Ole Balling and Hans Mattson. See O. P. Hansen Balling, Erindringer Fra Et Langt Liv [Memories from a Long Life] (Kristiania: S. & Jul Sørensens Bogtrykkeri, 1905), [28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]; see also Mattson, Reminiscences: The Story of an Emigrant (Saint Paul, MN: D. D. Merrill Company, 1891), 11-12. 27 insisted on keeping the entire state together to maintain the territory and population already under Danish rule.…”

“…27 insisted on keeping the entire state together to maintain the territory and population already under Danish rule. 29 Additionally, there was a strong sense among Europe's great powers, especially Great Britain and Russia, that German control of the important Schleswig harbor of Kiel was undesirable as it would help German Grossstaatenbildung. 30 Consequently, Russia and Great Britain worked actively to curtail the armed conflict and protect Danish territorial sovereignty in the name of stability (as opposed to revolution or disruption of the international trade).…”

“…Additionally, decisions to emigrate were likely accelerated among the German-speaking population in Schleswig and Holstein by the Danish government's determination to impose strict language requirements and banish revolutionary leaders such as Hans Reimer Claussen and Theodore 29 Glenthøj, "Pan-Scandinavism and the Threshold Principle?," 9-13. 30 Great Britain and Russia, in 1721 and 1773 respectively, had guaranteed the Danish king's right to Schleswig.…”