While we are introduced to the many significant individuals that played a huge role in the Civil War during our lectures in class, we are really yet to shed any light on noteworthy African-American figures of this time.
During the heat of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on the first of January in 1863. The document stated, “Such persons [that is, African-American men] of suitable condition, will be received into the armed service of the United States.” On that very day, African-Americans could finally serve in the army. The signing of the Emancipation Proclamation was a turning point in history because thousands of black men volunteered to the Union Army in hopes of finally putting an end to slavery. It was recorded that one fourth of the volunteers came from slave states and others from the Caribbean. Even the two songs of abolitionist Frederick Douglass, Charles and Lewis, joined.
Aaron Anderson, a union navy soldier, received a medal of honor after the war. He is one of less than 100 African-American recipients, to this day. After being a cook, Anderson joined the navy at 52 years old. He was stationed on the USS Wyandank located on the Potomac river. He and the other soldiers focused on stripping the nearby confederate forces of their resources. In on mission, Anderson and a group of men were instructed to steal more supplies, but they ended up exposing themselves. Anderson then ensured the group’s safety by leading them out of the attack, and this earned him the medal of honor.
One of the most famous groups of African-American men was the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment led by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. They were known for being one of the first official African-American units serving in the Civil War. On July 18, 1863, Shaw and his unit led an attack on Fort Wagner, and although in the end, they lost half of their soldiers and Shaw was shot dead, their valiant efforts were recognized by many. It signified the importance of unification between the two races and the fact that the unit did not retreat was seen as courageous and motivated many others fighting in the war. After Fort Wagner, there was a rise in black units in the Union Army.
However, the African-Americans fighting in the war still experienced a lot of inequality. Not only did they face racism, they were also paid less than their white counterparts.
Bibliography
"US People--Anderson, Aaron, Landsman, USN." US People--Anderson, Aaron, Landsman, USN. Web. 04 Oct. 2016.
History.com Staff. "Black Civil War Soldiers." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2010. Web. 04 Oct. 2016.
I like your post on the use of African Americans in the Union army. I agree that it was a smart decision by the Union to employ soldier that have experienced slavery firsthand because it gives them a chance to fight for their rights side by side with white men. My only concern, adding on to your post, was why the Confederates thought it was a smart idea to arm their OWN slaves with weapons and hope for them to fight for them?
ReplyDeleteI think it was really interesting how you mentioned that African Americans could earn medals of honor but not equal pay. You mentioned that the emancipation proclamation allowed African Americans to fight in the war in the first place. This brings to light the fact that Lincoln's emancipation had multiple goals in mind, and wasn't just an act of strong conviction.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting that to this day less than 100 African-Americans have received the medal of honor. Given what we learned about the manpower crisis in both the North and the South, this can be seen as another small advantage the North had over the South at this point. Later Southern recruitment of African-Americans would lead to an ideological weakness which did not exist for the North.
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