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Black Soldiers, Blue Uniforms: African Americans in the Civil War
African American men joined the Union ranks to escape slavery, destroy the Confederacy, prove their loyalty to the United States, and pursue their dreams of freedom and citizenship for black Americans.
Here s What You Need to Know: Although several overzealous Union Army field commanders organized African Americans into ad hoc militia units early in 1862 and several black regiments were mustered into service later that year, it wasn’t until after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation took effect on January 1, 1863, that the federal government began actively recruiting and enlisting black soldiers and sailors.
February is
Black History Month, it’s something that no American of any race, color, or creed should forget. African Americans, the decendants of slaves and slaves themselves fought for freedom that was only at best was in the
promissory note of the
Emancipation Proclamation.
Those men, and women in the case of Harriett Tubman and Sojourner Truth, paved the way for freedom for African Americans and all others who benefited from what they fought for: women, Native Americans, Mexican Americans, and other Hispanics, Asian Americans, and LGBTQ Americans.
That promise being made then, must be kept today, to the descendents of this men, as well as all who benefited through their sacrifice: even the Southern Whites who at the time did not know then, or all too often today, that they too needed emancipation.
president. gentlemen. mr. davis. what many people don t know is that not all confederate officers are against fighting alongside black soldiers. major general patrick cleburne proposes freeing the slaves for enlistment as a way to reinforce the rebel army. he is convinced it s the best and only hope for winning confederate independence, but davis immediately rejects cleburne s proposal. not only that, covers it up for 30 years because the truth is, the confederacy would rather lose its independence before giving up the practice and profitability of slavery. double time, march! though they refuse to arm their own slaves. charge! .the rebels must face their fear of free black soldiers, as the 54th massachusetts regiment attacks fort wagner. fifty-fourth massachusetts engages in this vicious infantry assault against battery wagner.