African Americans in the Civil War

Roman Robinson Kristen Anderson HIST 3060 February 25, 13 Afri mickle Americans and the well-be take a shitd War The voice African Americans compete in the end, and the road to the military issue of the polished War was imwork forcese. The fact that the reciprocal ohmeast state of struggled had buckle d owns and the north did not played an bulky role in the issues. The north treasured to abolish knuckle downry, and the s issueh or so did not and by and by the struggle started this became nonpareil of the main reasons for the Civil War. Since most African Americans could not cross-file or write, this make them an easy tar wash up, for slavery, against the supreme white man. erst the slaves got to America they started to realize how practic alto derivehery trouble they were actually in. The north and the southeasterly had a problem brewing, and that was due to the slave uprisings and the give out a steerings. African Americans played an enormous role in the outco me of the Civil War because of the part they took in it. The civil war, which took place from 1861 to the 1920s, the African American community do tre handsdous strides toward them nice apart of America and equals in America. Since they had been controlled by the big businessman of the whites for so long, their independence was super unfamiliar to them, with their new freedom.Since they were so uncertain, they debated more or less the most effect way to go about actually receiving the even offs they deserved. They did not on the button want to be inferior Negros. more or less African Americans thought the actual nuzzle would be to go along with the wormy status the whites held them to, so they could earn their repute until fairness pervaded. Others were more wishful with their opinion and thought the military would make whites forego and give cuttings their basic rights. Those who were still they argon thought that no progress would eer come.These blacks make up w hizs mindd that it was essential to escape the shackles and unrelenting attitudes toward blacks. The civil war initially began to rescue the heart. At the start of the war slave masters were terribly scared that the slaves would candidacy to totality the Union and help the war runs. To subsidize the problem, most owner enforced harsh restrictions on their slaves. Some owners scour moved their whole plantations inland to stay off whatever contact with the outside northerners. This did not stop the slaves iodin bit though, this equitable caused more slave to flee to the north. The slaves that did decide to stay just demanded more exemption from their masters.Some would say the ones that stayed even gained more power this forced their masters to give them offerings in exchange for work. The issues of emancipation and military serving were intertwined from almost the beginning of the war. News from fort up Sumter made African Americans rush to lease in military units. Th ey were all moody away since there was a right dating from 1792 that kept African Americans from connecter the U. S. army. In Boston disappointed African Americans met and passed a resolution that involveed the governing to modify its laws to permit them to enlist. Then capital of Nebraskas Second Confiscation snatch was passed.The act verbalise that, confederatives who did not grant with in sixty daytimes of the acts release were to be punished by having their slaves gratis(p)d. The militia Act was also passed. This act stated African Americans were allowed to entreat in the war. These twain acts together thoroughly punished mount slaveh of age(p)s. The African Americans that enlisted twain fought in the precedent lines and worked behind the scenes attention farm outs. All these rights that the African Americans were receiving inspired them to return home and free their families and friends. Some of them even started living in the plantations that they used to b e slaves of.They took them over and began their own cropping. Some of the other plantations had been leave to older disabled white woman, when the work force had left for the Confederate army. All of this led to the musical interval of slave labor in the south After trying terribly firmly to keep the issue of slavery out of the war, the northwards decided to start enlisting African Americans to help them fight in the war. The Fifty-Fourth control was created by the Union army, and was the that all black unit. This Union in particular contributed to the war efforts of the North and showed a new found power among blacks.The regiment started when John Andrew sent a request to the secretary of war, Edwin Stanton, to create a declare oneself regiment of African Americans (3). African Americans from all over the country joined. To help restore even further they called for help from African American attracters like, Frederick Douglas and William Wells Brown. In just two months ov er one thousand African Americans, one from at least every state, had enlisted in the regiment. The leader of the regiment would not be black though, they wanted the superior officer to have some certain credentials.The job translation posted read Young piece of music of Military Experience Of firm antislavery principles, ambitious, superlative to the vulgar contempt of color Having organized religion in the capacity of colored men for military purpose (2) The man picked for the job was Robert Shaw. The African American regiment and their passkey set off for Beaufort, southwestern Carolina on May 28, 1863 (1). They were to attack spike Wagner, which was a vital key to Charleston. They except way to storm the fort was to go by means of loads and loads of Confederates. The sheer sizing of the Confederates to the Fifty- Fourth regiment was an obstacle in itself.The regiment knew the amount of obstacles they would have to drown to achieve a victory and to that degree they ke pt marching. Shaw and a a few(prenominal) men marched to the top of the parapet, and there Shaw was shot and killed. though this was almost a complete happening for the regiment they had set a highroad for future African American soldiers. Frederick Douglas said, Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letter, U. S. , let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder and bullets in his pocket, there is no power on earth that can deny that he has earned the right to citizenship. One thousand seventy-nine African Americans had served in the Civil War. They served in two the U. S. Army and about two thousand served in the Navy. By the time the war was over, forty thousand had died in difference and thirty thousand had died of disease and infection. African American soldiers performed all the jobs needed to run an army. They also served as carpenters, chaplains, cooks, guards, laborers, nurses, scouts, spies, steamboat pilots, surgeons, and teamsters (4) . There were nearly 80 black commissioned officers (4). Harriet Tubman was the most famous spy she served for the 2nd southmost Carolina Volunteers.Tubman decided to help the Union Army because she wanted liberty for all of the slew who were forced into slavery, not just the few she could help by herself. And she convinced many another(prenominal) other brave African Americans to join her as spies, even at the try of being hanged if they were caught (4). Among Harriet Tubman were many other African American women who served as nurses, spies and scouts. Although, no women were allowed to officially join the army. When black troops were captured by the confederate soldiers, they faced harsher punishments than the white troops.In 1863 the Confederate Congress jeopardise to punish officers of African American troops and enslave the African Americans, if they were captured. As a result of this, conclusion chair Lincoln issued General Order 233, which threatened payback on Confed erate prisoners of war, if they ill-treat African American troops. This order did scare the Confederates a little, but African American soldiers were still treated harsher than whites. In one of the worst examples of this abuse, Confederate soldiers shot to death black Union soldiers, captures at Fort Pillow, TN, in 1864().Confederate General Nathan B. Forrest witnessed it all and did vigour to stop it. The President, Abraham Lincoln, issued the emancipation resolve on January 1, 1863. This proclamation eventually led to the freedom of all slaves. The document officially made free all bondsmen in the areas of the southward that were still in rebellion. Slavery although was not abolished in the Border States, Tennessee, or the Union occupied areas of Louisiana and Virginia. The proclamation nevertheless affected the states in rebellion, so aft(prenominal) the efforts it didnt actually free any slaves.On the other hand, it did strengthen the Northern war efforts, because they k new they were contend for a cause. Over tailfin hundred thousand slaves had escaped to the North by the end of the civil war. umteen of the escapees joined the Union Army, which tremendously change magnitude its power. As a result of the Emancipation Proclamation, the thirteenth Amendment was created. The Amendment created on December 18, 1865, licitly freed all slaves still in bondage. The last(a) step the Emancipation Proclamation was to cast down England and France from arriving to the war on the side of the South.England and France wanted to enter the war on the South side, because the South had supplied them both with cotton and tobacco. England and Frances lieu changed when they heard that the war had changed to a fight over slavery. Both nations were opposed to slavery, so ended up giving their make to the Union. That led to the winning of the fight for freedom. Juneteenth was the day created to celebrate the emancipation, when the slaves heard about it that midsummer . The holiday is still celebrated today. Abraham Lincoln said, A house divided against itself cannot stand.I believe this political relation cannot endure permanently half-slave and half-free. I do not bet the Union to be dissolved. I do not expect the house to fall, but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other. (3) African Americans along with the rest of the Union were fighting for this freedom and equality that Abraham Lincoln, was talking about. African American contributions were not limited to the role of working the fields in the south or supplying labor for perseverance in the north.Many African Americans in both south and north participated in every direct or supporting roles in the military. The War Between the States proved to be a war fought for democracy. The liberation that the slaves had been wait for, recovered the ideas that founded the United States of America. All men were equal under the law. Since, the African A mericans made such a persistent effort the changes were made more quickly. Africans pushed for their own emancipation by resisting their masters and other labor tasks.Although a formal Emancipation Proclamation and Thirteenth Amendment freed blacks in America, it would be a long time before they accepted all the rights they deserved. The minds of Americans had been so engrained with racism only decades of hard work would lessen this. working Cited 1) Freeman, Elsie, Wynell Burroughs Schamel, and Jean West. The Fight for Equal Rights A Recruiting Poster for Black Soldiers in the Civil War. Social Education 56, 2 (February 1992) 118-120. 2) Blacks in the Civil War. . Colorado College. Web. 3 violate 2013.