The Blacks in the Civil War

African Americans were very questionable at first in the Civil War. The Union Navy had been already been accepting African American volunteers. Frederick Douglass thought that the military would help the African Americans have equal rights if they fought with them. Many children helped in the Civil War also, no matter how old they were. Because the African Americans were unfavorable, black units were not used in combat as they might have been. Nevertheless, the African Americans fought in numerous battles. African Americans fought gallantly. Northern leaders also saw another reason to have African Americans in the Civil War is that the Union needed soldiers. Congress aloud them to enlist them because they thought they might as well have more soldiers.

The article, “The Negro’s Civil War in Tennessee, 1861-1865” by Bobby L. Lovett, can be found in "The Journal of Negro History. Lovett's article relates the importance of the contributions the black soldiers of Tennessee made during the Civil War. He portraits to the reader the determination of these black Tennesseans fight to gain their freedom under some extremely violent and racial conditions.

Black Soldiers Black soldiers made their first major impact in the United States military during the Civil War. Upon their entrance into the armed forces, African Americans were discriminated against by the white soldiers. A regiment in the Union army called the Buffalo soldiers was viewed as inferior. None of the white soldiers wanted to fight with this group, so the Buffalo soldiers were sent to the far west where they could fight and not interfere with the whites.

The American Civil War is perhaps the most important event in U.S. history since the American Revolution. Over half a million men would perish between the Union and Confederate Armies. It is important to know that Ulysses S. Grant was an important figure (perhaps the most important behind Abraham Lincoln) in the war. Many will see him as the hero of the American Civil War. Nevertheless there were others who would play an important role to help the Union win the Civil War. The implementation of black soldiers was crucial to the Union in order to achieve victory against the Confederate Army. Yet, the contributions and accomplishments of black soldiers during the Civil War were overlooked for nearly a century following the Civil War. However, within the last 30 years, many scholars and historians have begun to publish books on the history of black soldiers and their contributions to the Civil War. During the Civil War, free blacks were permitted to serve in the Union Army. But it was not until 1863, that black soldiers would see combat and charge against the confederate armies. It is estimated that around 186,000 African American served the Union Army throughout the war, with the creation of 163 colored regiments. My research paper will focus on the Black regiments of the American Civil War and their importance to U.S. history. Some of the important issues that will be discussed in this paper will include the struggles of black soldiers during the Civil War, from their wage earnings (where most made less money than white soldiers); the clothes they wore (most had no uniforms at all). Also, many of these soldiers had trouble getting the basic necessities like shoes, socks and soap. Other areas I will discuss will be the discriminatio...

African Americans in the Civil War About 180,000 African American people comprised 163 units that served in the Union Army, during the time of the Civil War, and many more African American people had served in the Union Navy. Both the free African-Americans and the runaway slaves had joined the fight. On the date of July 17, in the year of 1862, the U. S. Congress had passed two very important acts that would allow the enlistment of many African Americans, but the official enrollment had occurred only after the September, 1862, issuance of the, Emancipation Proclamation. In general, most white soldiers and officers, had believed that most of the black men, who had served in the Civil War, lacked the courage, and the will to fight and the power to fight well. In October, in the year, 1862, many African American soldiers, who were a part of the, 1st Kansas Colored Volunteers, had silenced their critics by repulsing the numerous attacking Confederates at the battle of Island Mound, in Missouri.

Throughout the duration of the Civil War in 1861 to the 1920s, African Americans made significant strides toward their advancement in America and toward equity with whites. After having being subjected to white governance and enslaved for so long, their dependence generated a sense of unfamiliarity with their newly acquired emancipation. This uncertainty sparked many debates regarding the most effectual way to go about receiving their “inalienable” rights as human beings, not merely substandard Negros as they were perceived to be. However, some thought that the most effective approach would be to acquiesce to the subservient status upheld by whites in order to earn their respect until equity permeated. Others were more combative in their dealings, hoping that militancy would force whites to surrender unto blacks their basic rights. Those who remained thought that progress was not plausible wherever they were, thus a physical vacation would be essential to escape confinement and oppressive attitudes toward blacks. In spite of their differing approaches, the discrepancies amongst blacks were bound by a common interest: to ensure a more promising and progressive future for the entirety of all African Americans.

Black soldiers were among the bravest of those fighting in the Civil War. Both free Blacks in the Union army and escaped slaves from the South rushed to fight for their freedom and they fought with distinction in many major Civil War battles. Many whites thought Blacks could not be soldiers. They were slaves. They were inferior. Many thought that if Blacks could fight in the war it would make them equal to whites and prove the theory of slavery was wrong. Even though Black soldiers had to face much discrimination during the Civil War, they were willing to fight to the death for their freedom. In the movie “Glory“ the director focused on the African Americans in the north that fought in the 54th regiment led by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. During the time of the Civil War, the African Americans that fought in the 54th regiment were often treated unfairly but there were always nice people that backed them up.

To a plantation owner, slaves were seen as a commodity or resource to be exploited, like tobacco or sugarcane. To many northern politicians, who may have been morally against slavery, it was not an issue worth splitting up the United States. It sustained the Southern economy, which relied almost exclusively on agriculture. However, it also went against the foundations of American democracy. As early as the 1770’s, there were signs that Americans were deeply divided over race. There was resistance against slavery and blacks were sometimes able to negotiate or buy their way out of slavery. During the American Revolution, General George Washington accepted black recruits and five thousand African-Americans served during the war. Some slaves gained freedom by serving in place of their owners. Over 100,000 blacks logically chose to fight with the English, and 15,000 fled for England after the war. In the North, the push for emancipation started early, almost immediately after the Revolutionary War, but this would turn out to be a very slow process, and instigate a division that would split the country in

Slavery was abolished in this country over a hundred years ago but the consequences of this dark page in America's history are felt even today. This site was created to address those consequences, the political, social and cultural life of today's and yesterday's African Americans. What affect did the Civil War have on African Americans in the United States? Were they, as some argued, better off before the Civil War, or do the advances that blacks have made since then proved that the Civil War was indeed the turning point in the lives and opportunities of African Americans? These questions and more will be addressed in the following pagesWhen slaves were purchased off the ships from Africa, they ended up on plantations. The size and location of landholdings depended on the crop and the owner who purchased the slave. Most plantations were of the smaller variety and it was rare for an owner to have more than 20 slaves. Most housed only a handful of slaves, but no matter what the numbers, plantation life was pretty much the same for most slaves. Slaves were usually divided into two groups, the gang crew (usually male and did the field work) and the task crew (usually female and worked in the "big house"). The workday began around sunrise and always ended before dark except at busy times such as harvest. Slaves were not worked after dark for a number of reasons. First, the owners feared that escape would be easier; second, working after dark was considered an unwarranted burden on the slave; lastly, they believed that it impeded efficiency by reducing the hours of sleep the slave received. This is not to say the slave owners were compassionate. They saw the slaves not as humans but a business investment and only wanted to protect that investment. Slaves were not required to work on Sunday, as it was denounced as irreligious and a flagrant violation of the slave's deserved day of rest. However, they worked every other day, rain or shine. A reasonable day's work meant a daily chore that while not back-breaking required a brisk pace to finish. Although whites believed that slaves could neither do as much nor continue to work as long as whites, both crews worked anywhere from 12-14 hours a day, with an hour or so for lunch at midday.After a long day in the field or the master's house, slaves were allowed to return to their families, a family much differen...

Throughout American history, African Americans have struggled to find a place in society all their own. African Americans have been facing inequality since they were initially brought over from Africa to be slaves. Once they got their freedom, people still didn't treat them as equal, but as lesser. During World War I, white American soldiers left home, which opened up many job oppurtunities for African Americans. As African Americans migrated north, they developed their own culture in Harlem, New York. As African Americans settled in Harlem, their American Dream transformed from an idea of freedom into a dream where they could remember their history as a race and achieve racial equality in their careers, education, and entertainment.