African Americans in The Civil War

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Recommended: The participation of African Americans in the civil war

African Americans were very questionable at first in the Civil War. The Union Navy had been already been accepting African American volunteers. Frederick Douglass thought that the military would help the African Americans have equal rights if they fought with them. Many children helped in the Civil War also, no matter how old they were. Because the African Americans were unfavorable, black units were not used in combat as they might have been. Nevertheless, the African Americans fought in numerous battles. African Americans fought gallantly. Northern leaders also saw another reason to have African Americans in the Civil War is that the Union needed soldiers. Congress aloud them to enlist them because they thought they might as well have more soldiers. By the Spring of 1863, African Americans were fighting in many wars. They were a very big help to the Union. About 10 percent of the Union's navy was African Americans. There were estimated about 190,000 African Americans fought in the Civil War. Estimated about 38,000 of them died. Many of them believing that if they fought with the Union or Confederate, they would become equal to the white's. Even some of the African Americans were treated better than some of the white's. The reason why some of the African Americans were treated better than some of the white's was because if a white soldier didn't do his job or didn't follow orders, they would put a African American in their place, of course if that African American had followed orders in the past. There were many important battles the African Americans fought in and they really helped humongously. Some of these important battles were like the assault on Fort Wagner, South Carolina by the 54th Massachusetts ... ... middle of paper ... ... were a big help to the Civil War. Of the 190,000 were in the Civil War, an amazing 16 of them got the Medal of Honor, fourteen received the honor as a result of their actions at New Market Heights. The Union won the Civil War and after the Civil War, the African Americans got their freedom. Even though this may be known as the bloodiest battles of the U.S., it got the African Americans its freedom and the U.S. to remember how they got it. Works Cited www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/history/aa_history.htm www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4narr5.html www.hist.unt.edu/web_resources_mil/am_civil_war1.htm www.712educators.about.com/library/graphics/afam5.jpg www.hsp.org/files/hsp1_campwmpenn.jpg www.arcweb.sos.state.or.us/exhibits/1857/images/after/flag.jpg www.larose.com/upimages/Union_Flag.JPG www.remote-dba.net/images/american%20flag%20picture.jpg

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