Civil War's Crucial Role In Shaping African-American History

The Civil War played a crucial role in shaping African-American history. The impact that the Civil War had on all African-Americans, as a race cannot be stressed enough. It was a time when they were just beginning to gain their freedom and rights as Americans. Throughout history in the United States, African-Americans have always fought discrimination. Ever since they came to America they were forced into hard slave labor. They would end up becoming slaves for they wealthy. Often they were given no pay and were brutally punished. According to http://www.civilwar.org, before the Civil War broke out in 1861, there were an estimated almost four million slaves in the United States, and just fewer than 500,000 free African Americans. Combined they
After all, they would have been fighting for their freedom and the end of slavery.
We as Americans needed all the manpower we could get during the Civil. The Lincoln administration struggled with the idea of recruiting black troops but eventually gave in. According to http://mrnussbaum.com, African Americans played a prominent role in the Union Army during the Civil War. Over 200,000 African Americans, equaling 10% of the entire military force, served in the Union military. 37,000 died fighting for the Union. Most of the soldiers were escaped slaves who were seeking freedom and rights so they enlisted in the Union Army. They were then placed into segregated units under the command of white Union officers. Although African-American soldiers were not treated equally as their fellow white commanders. In fact according to http://mrnussbaum.com, white soldiers earned $13.00 a month with an additional $3.00 clothing allowance, African American soldiers earned $10.00 a month and had $3.00 deducted from their earnings for clothing. African American soldiers were granted equal pay, however, on June 15, 1864.
These furious warriors were nicknamed the “Swamp Angels”, was an infantry regiment. This exquisite group saw extensive service during the Civil War. The Governor of Massachusetts, John A. Andrew, authorized the regiment in March of 1863. The famous Colonel Robert Gould Shaw was selected spearhead the newly formed African-American regiment based out of Massachusetts. They fought at the battle of Fort Wagner and showed that they were a forced not to be reckoned with. According to http://www.history.com/, On July 18, 1863, the 54th Massachusetts prepared to storm Fort Wagner, which guarded the Port of Charleston. At dusk, Shaw gathered 600 of his men on a narrow strip of sand just outside Wagner’s fortified walls and readied them for action. “I want you to prove yourselves,” he said. “The eyes of thousands will look on what you do tonight.” The 54th regiment may have lost the battle at Fort Wagner but they sure made a great deal of damage. The following two years, the regiment would participate in a number of successful operations in South Carolina, Georgia, and even Florida. They eventually returned to Boston in the summer of 1865 leaving a strong reputation in