What Is The Role Of African Americans In The Civil War

When you think of the Civil War, what do you think of? Unionists, Confederates, slave owners? Do you think of African Americans? Probably not. Just like the Revolutionary War, African Americans played an immense role in entire war, yet many people don’t recognize them for that accomplishment. They were nurses, spies, cooks, soldiers, laborers, and heroes. African Americans were faced with mass racial prejudice even from abolitionist north, yet they chose to fight in order to abolish slavery for good. While some African Americans (in the Confederate territory) were forced to participate in the Civil War, most volunteered. Whether free or enslaved, they played a vital part in the war. Although African Americans are not thought to have a major
The Union army had over 179,000 African American men, both northern free and runaway slaves from the south, that served in over 160 units as well as the navy and support positions and as well as another 18,000 that served in the Union Navy. African American troops formed an important part of the Union army during battles of Nashville and Petersburg. At the end of the war, around 179,000 African American men served in the Union army, ten percent of it. Almost another 20,000 more men served in the Union Navy. Throughout the war, nearly 400,000 African American soldiers gave up their lives to the Union, seventy-percent from disease or
In 1865, the Confederacy finally allowed slaves to enlist but not many slaves actually did. African Americans served in the Confederate Army, both slave labor force and some in exchange for freedom. Other slaves also tended to their master's needs while in camp instead of fighting or building forts. Legislation that would free African American slaves if they enlisted in the Confederate Army was passed on March 13th, 1865, although not many (less than 50) enslaved African Americans enlisted before the war ended. Some slaves were brought into the Confederate Army in order to keep watch over their master's personal items and if he was killed, the slave brought them back to the master's family. Most slaves then returned home, but there were a few reports of slaves who fought in their master's place. While African Americans couldn’t always fight, they participated in the Civil war by labor. Instead, they were assigned to build fortifications, perform camp duties, as well as guarding railroads and