This paper will examine African-American soldiers’ journey during the American Civil War. I took interest in this particular topic because I wanted to learn more about black men in war and how they fought for their freedom. For centuries white people used to own black people from Africa as slaves to satisfy their interests, whites believed they had authority above dark skin people because of their race. Thanks to the Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 black slaves in rebellion states were free from slavery and were able to join the Civil war.
Before black slaves were considered to participate in the civil war, the Confederate Congress passed an act authorizing the arming of slaves. Many were against the act because …show more content…
Scott’s article quotes First Lieutenant Oliver Willcox Norton of the camp 's 8th United States Colored Troop (USCT) Regiment as he described the enthusiasm of the black recruits to join the union "Our camp thronged with visitors...who wanted to enlist," he wrote. "There are hundreds of them, mostly slaves, here by now, anxiously waiting for the recruiting officer.” According to Scott, camp William Penn had been formally assigned by the federal government after state and local authorities had refused to start their own camp for black troops. Around 1,500 African-American volunteers from the Philadelphia area had traveled north to enlist in the 54th Massachusetts troop, the first famous black regiment. During the stay at camp William Penn, many black soldiers complain about the unfair treatment they received at camp by fellow soldiers and authorities. According to Donald Scott, one black soldier wrote a letter to President Abraham Lincoln, writing that his white officers would not let him vote and would not let him go home when he was sick. "We had boys her that died and wood gout [would have gotten] well if thy could go home," the soldier said. The camp 's white officers and recruits in another place were allowed to …show more content…
Colored Troops was the 1st South Carolina Volunteers and it was led by Thomas Wentworth Higgins from Boston. Other regiments followed after South Carolina Volunteers, there were quite a few, for example the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry, the first colored regiment to be properly trained, the 1st Kansas proved what they were capable of in July 1863 at Honey Springs, in Indian Territory. They bravely come close to the Confederate line and fought hard, which forced the Confederate General Douglas Cooper and his men to give up. But in my opinion the most famous of the colored troops was the 54th Massachusetts infantry. The 54th infantry was created by Governor John Andrew and commanded by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. McGill writes that most of the infantry was composed of African-American from Boston and small towns from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Canada. The 54th regiment was one of the main reason more people wanted to enlist in the Union Army. The 54th Massachusetts Infantry fought bravely at Fort Wagner against the confederate but unfortunately, according to McGill’s article, two hundred and thirty-five out of the six hundred men in the regiment died that day, including Colonel Shaw. After that tragic fight, both sides of the war decided to call on a truce. This battle caused lots of respect towards African-American
Before black slaves were considered to participate in the civil war, the Confederate Congress passed an act authorizing the arming of slaves. Many were against the act because …show more content…
Scott’s article quotes First Lieutenant Oliver Willcox Norton of the camp 's 8th United States Colored Troop (USCT) Regiment as he described the enthusiasm of the black recruits to join the union "Our camp thronged with visitors...who wanted to enlist," he wrote. "There are hundreds of them, mostly slaves, here by now, anxiously waiting for the recruiting officer.” According to Scott, camp William Penn had been formally assigned by the federal government after state and local authorities had refused to start their own camp for black troops. Around 1,500 African-American volunteers from the Philadelphia area had traveled north to enlist in the 54th Massachusetts troop, the first famous black regiment. During the stay at camp William Penn, many black soldiers complain about the unfair treatment they received at camp by fellow soldiers and authorities. According to Donald Scott, one black soldier wrote a letter to President Abraham Lincoln, writing that his white officers would not let him vote and would not let him go home when he was sick. "We had boys her that died and wood gout [would have gotten] well if thy could go home," the soldier said. The camp 's white officers and recruits in another place were allowed to …show more content…
Colored Troops was the 1st South Carolina Volunteers and it was led by Thomas Wentworth Higgins from Boston. Other regiments followed after South Carolina Volunteers, there were quite a few, for example the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry, the first colored regiment to be properly trained, the 1st Kansas proved what they were capable of in July 1863 at Honey Springs, in Indian Territory. They bravely come close to the Confederate line and fought hard, which forced the Confederate General Douglas Cooper and his men to give up. But in my opinion the most famous of the colored troops was the 54th Massachusetts infantry. The 54th infantry was created by Governor John Andrew and commanded by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. McGill writes that most of the infantry was composed of African-American from Boston and small towns from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Canada. The 54th regiment was one of the main reason more people wanted to enlist in the Union Army. The 54th Massachusetts Infantry fought bravely at Fort Wagner against the confederate but unfortunately, according to McGill’s article, two hundred and thirty-five out of the six hundred men in the regiment died that day, including Colonel Shaw. After that tragic fight, both sides of the war decided to call on a truce. This battle caused lots of respect towards African-American