Civil War: Role of African Americans

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Civil WarRole of African Americans

• By Kathleen McKenna

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Freemen during the Civil War

• At the beginning of the War, white soldiers and
  generals believed that African Americans would
  not make good soldiers as a result of their
  cowardice, hence black soldiers were not used.
  African Americans needed to proved their
  capability to fight to the generals. Soon after
  allowed to fight, African Americans did show
  their fighting ability in numerous battles.
• "I never saw such fighting as was done by the
  Negro regiment....The question that negroes will
  fight is settled besides they make better
  solders in every respect than any troops I have
  ever had under my command."
• - quote of General Blunt after his African
  American troops forced the Confederate troops to
  retreat

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African Americans in the Union

• Almost 200,000 African Americans serve in the
  Union Army and Navy
• Segregated into all-black units, such as the
  Massachusetts 54th Regiment
• Treated Badly by the white generals and other
  soldiers.
• Proved to be vital members of the Army, fighting
  in every major battle they could.
• President Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation
  opened the door for blacks to become enlisted in
  the Union Army. Although they had wanted to
  participate in the war effort at earlier dates,
  they were prohibited by a federal law that dated
  back to 1792. Lincoln also feared that if their
  recruitment was authorized, the border states
  would secede from the Union.

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TREATMENT OF AFRICAN AMERICANS

• Although African Americans proved their loyalty
  to the Union Army and proved their abilities in
  battle discrimination occurred still in pay and
  other areas. According to the Militia Act of
  1862, soldiers of African descent were to receive
  10.00 a month, plus a clothing deduction of
  3.50. White soldiers in both the Union army and
  navy received 13.00 a month with no deduction
  for clothing.
• African American divisions struggled with the
  discriminations including equal pay until June
  15, 1864, when equal pay for all black soldiers
  was granted by Congress. Many African Americans
  refused money until this issuing of equality.

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Loss of African America Lives

• African American soldiers comprised about 10
  of the entire Union Army. Losses among African
  Americans were high, and from all reported
  casualties, approximately one-third of all
  African Americans enrolled in the military lost
  their lives during the Civil War.
• One division of the African American army
  became known as the army of freemen, in which
  37,000 African Americans died.

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CONFEDERATE USE OF AFRICAN AMERICANS  

• General Patrick Cleburne and several other
  Confederate officers in the Army of the Tennessee
  in January, 1864 proposed using slaves as
  soldiers, since their services were being used in
  the Union Army. Cleburne suggested offering the
  slaves freedom if they survived the war. The
  president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis
  refuses the proposal and forbad any further
  discussion
• This idea never died out and by the 1864 fall,
  as the south lost more ground, some believed that
  defeat could only be stopped by employing slaves
  in the confederate army. The confederate Congress
  passed the General Order 14 on March 13th, and
  President Davis signed the order to a law. The
  Order was formally issued on March 23rd, 1865 but
  to no surprised few African American companies
  were raided plus the end of the war came before
  the slaves could be made useful.

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African Americans in the Confederacy

• It has been estimated that over 65, 000 Southern
  blacks, both slaves and freedmen, were enlisted
  in the Confederate Army
•  At least one Black Confederate was a
  non-commissioned officer. James Washington, Co. D
  34th Texas Cavalry, Terrells Texas Cavalry
  became its 3rd Sergeant. In comparison, The
  highest ranking Black Union soldier during the
  war was a Sergeant Major.

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Confederacy Treatment of African Americans

• Because the Confederate Army needed to make
  service in the army seem beneficial and worth it
  to the slaves and free African Americans their
  treatment was often much better than of their
  northern counterparts. Free black earned the same
  pay as white confederate privates. This was not
  the case in the Union army where blacks did not
  receive equal pay. At the Confederate Buffalo
  Forge in Rockbridge County, Virginia, skilled
  black workers "earned on average three times the
  wages of white Confederate soldiers and more than
  most Confederate army officers an amount of about
  350-600 a year.

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Slavery During the War

• Slavery was on the edge during the Civil War.
  Many slaves escaped to the North to fight for the
  Union forces in what was known as contraband
  camps. Many slaves remained on the plantation
  for unknown reasons, and assisted their masters
  on the plantations and behind the confederate
  forces.

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End of Slavery!

• The confiscation act was established in 1861 and
  made it legal to claim enemy property at times of
  war and many contraband, former slaves escaped to
  Union Camps
• The 2nd confiscation Act of July 1862 frees these
  slaves and allows the Union to use these former
  slaves in any capacity in the army

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End of Slavery 13th Amendment
Emancipation Proclamation

• Issued in 1865 the 13th Amendment freed 4
  million people from slavery, and 500,000 from the
  border states. The freed slaves gained entire
  protection of the Constitution and were regarded
  as full citizens
• Although protection was guaranteed,
  African-Americans suffered economic hardship and
  political oppression for generations
• Emancipation Proclamation (1/1/1863)
• Lincoln had said that if states were still
  rebelling by new years 1863, hed free the
  slaves in Southern States
• U.S. government recognizes those slaves as free
• Still slavery in the border states, only in areas
  outside of Lincolns control
• Commits U.S. to a policy of abolition in the
  South
• As Union army progresses, more slaves freed

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PERSIA Questions

• Socially how were the African Americans treated
  within both the Confederate and Union Forces.
• After what document were the African Americans
  allowed to join the Union Army and what did they
  still need to prove to the generals and white
  soldiers.
• What were two major battles in which the African
  Americans demonstrated their courage and soldier
  abilities
• After the Civil War ended, did the African
  Americans still face economic and political
  hardships? Were they granted full citizenship
• What was the significance of the 2nd confiscation
  act?

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PERSIA Answers

• In the Union forces the African Americans were
  discriminated against, not granted equal pay,
  which was usually about six dollars less than the
  white soldiers. Though of as cowards and not
  strong enough to fight. In the Confederate army,
  because their loyalty was harder achieved,
  skilled black workers were often paid double the
  salary of white generals and were treated more
  equally than their counterparts in the north.
• The Emancipation Proclamation, given by Lincoln
  was the speech that allowed for the enlistment
  and use of African Americans in the Union Army.
  Even while they were given legal authority, many
  white generals and soldiers still thought that
  the African Americans could not defend the women
  and children, so they needed to prove their
  soldier and fighting capabilities.
• One heroic battle for the African Americans was
  the attack on Fort Wagner, South Carolina, on
  July 18th, 1863. A second heroic battle for the
  African Americans regiments was the battle of New
  Market Heights.

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Persia Answers!

• After the Civil war the economic and political
  hardships of the African Americans did not just
  stop. These groups of people were still
  discriminated against, denied jobs and land and
  faced much turmoil in the following generations.
  Yes the African Americans were granted full
  citizenship and protection of the Constitution,
  and while granted these, they often faced other
  political and economic obstacles.
• The 2nd Confiscation Act, established in July of
  1862, freed all the slaves who had previously run
  away to the northern union forces. Also the Act
  allowed the union army to use the slaves in any
  spot in the army they wanted to.

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Works Cited

• African Americans/Slavery. http//www.civilwar.com
  /content/view/2038/47/
• Freedmen and Southern Society Project
• http//www.history.umd.edu/Freedmen/
• Freedmen, The Freed Slaves of the Civil War
• http//www.civilwarhome.com/freedmen.htm
• Confiscation Act of 1862
• http//www.civilwarhome.com/confiscationact1862.ht
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