Civil War and African Americans

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses how the Civil War greatly altered the lives of tens of thousands of African-American soldiers and their families because of President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and his related decision to authorize African Americans to serve in the Union Army. The paper shows how historic events inspired an overwhelming number of former slaves to enlist in order to fight against the Confederacy that had enslaved them and also earn military wages so they could support their families.

From the Paper:

"In the second chapter of his book, Climbing Up To Glory, Wilbur Jenkins examines how and why initial Northern opposition to African-American participation in the Civil War was related to the respective treatment African-Americans received from the Union and Confederate governments during the fighting. African-Americans eagerly offered to fight for the Union as soon as the war broke out, but authorities in Washington D.C. rejected their offers for political reasons. (Jenkins 29-31)"

Sample of Sources Used:

• Jenkins, Wilbur. Climbing Up to Glory: A Short History of African Americans during the Civil War and Reconstruction. New York: SR Books, 2002.
• Kleinfeld, Joshua. "American Civil War." History Today. November 1997.

More papers on Civil War and African Americans:

• Research Paper # 115321 : "Civil Rights of African Americans"
• Essay # 49705 : "The Marginalization of Native Americans and African-Americans"
• Analytical Essay # 23893 : "Mass Media and African-Americans"

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