African-Americans and the Civil War

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the military participation of African-Americans in both the Union and Confederate forces and the governmental and social policies that often prohibited them from fighting in a war that they saw as a battle for their own liberty. Included is a brief discussion on the financial support of the Confederacy by Southern African-Americans. The paper cites Hine, Hine, and Harrold's textbook, "The African-American Odyssey to 1870".

From the Paper:

"Not surprisingly, Confederate troops and leaders did not react well to the introduction of black Union troops. Rather than treating captured black soldiers as prisoners of war, soldiers, including members of the 54th were beaten, tortured and executed as "rebellious slaves"; many were even sold into slavery though they'd been free their entire lives (244). Hine, Hine and Harrold detail the Fort Pillow Massacre in which the Confederates, led by Nathan Bedford Forrest, executed surrendering black soldiers and their white commander. Rather than respond with "indiscriminate" force against any and all Confederate forces and required by General Order 11, Lincoln and his cabinet decided to retaliate against only those individuals involved in the killings (245). This unfortunate decision illustrates the discriminatory tie between the Union and the Confederates."

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