What Is The Importance Of Emancipation For African Americans In The Military

On July 17, 1862, Congress "repealed an act of 1792 barring black men from serving in state militia'; (Smith 308). A new Militia Act permitted the enlistment of free black men and ex-slaves. Now after the long hard fight to be allowed to serve in the Union Army, African Americans would finally have their chance to prove themselves as worthy soldiers. They would serve America proudly and fight to free their fellow brothers who were still enslaved.

Following the Civil War, America was in shambles. There were many groups with strong, conflicting ideas of how things should be. However, most groups had one idea in common: reducing the rights of African Americans as much as possible. Freed slaves had very little freedom under the law, were treated like a lesser species by those around them, and faced dangerous environments everywhere they went. Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation may have legally freed slaves, but African Americans were barely more than paid slaves.

For many African Americans, the war offered an opportunity to get out of the cycle of crushing rural poverty. Black joined the military in large numbers, escaping a decade of Depression and tenant farming in the South and Midwest. Yet, like the rest of America in the 1940s, the armed forces were segregated. The Army accepted black enlistees but created separate black infantry regiments and assigned white commanders to them. Of the more than 2.5 million African Americans who registered for the draft in WWII, about 900,000 served in the Army. But about only 50,000 African Americans were allowed to serve in combat.

They said that though blacks should not be enslaved, they should not be equal to the white male. The army was extremely reluctant to commission black officers -- only one hundred gained commissions during the war. For example, Colonel Shaw was white. African American soldiers were also given less supplies and rations. In addition, they received inferior ammunition and weapons and absolutely no medical treatment on or off the battlefield. For example, the soldiers were not given shoes when they asked for them, until Colonel Shaw demanded them for his men. This greatly affected their ability to fight. With less to keep them warm or defend themselves, you are going to have more casualties. Black soldiers served in artillery and infantry and performed all noncombat support functions that sustain an army, digging trenches, hauling supplies, cooking food, tending to the wounded, and providing personal service.

As freed black men escaped their captivity as being enslaved in the South, racial equality in society was not reciprocated by white Americans. Even though African Americans were away from the constraints of slavery, they held a lower social status and were racially inferior by their community. Racial hierarchies were not only imposed in society but also in the military during the Civil War. As the Civil War broke out between the Union and the Confederate, President Lincoln believed that an all-white army had the capability of fighting off the Confederate units and that this war would be swift. The war progressed and the Union soon realized that they needed more reinforcements which would come from the freed black men in the North. During the Civil War, black soldiers would challenge and reinforce the existing racial hierarchies because the dispute of manhood amongst races would be enforce by violence that deterred black men from challenging their social status.

The issues of emancipation and military service were intertwined from the onset of the Civil War. News from Fort Sumter set off a rush by free black men to enlist in U.S. military units. They were turned away, however, because a Federal law dating from 1792 barred Negroes from bearing arms for the U.S. army (although they had served in the American Revolution and in the War of 1812). In

One of the ways in which blacks were awarded new opportunities was in the military. During the American Revolution, there were two sides of the war; the Loyalists who were loyal to King George III and the British government, and the Patriots who supported Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence. During this time, some slaves obtained freedom if they served in the military. Those who were not offered that opportunity were enticed to join the Loyalists in return for their freedom. Although, in the end, both sides helped African Americans find their freedom where they could (Holton, 57). During the war, African Americas were used in various ways, such as guides, spies, and soldiers, but they were only allowed to do the jobs that did not require much skill, as people did not think they were very skillful (Holton, 57). One of the first battles in which many African Americans fought in was the Battle of Bunker Hill. On this same day, Congress appointed a southern slaveholder as commander of the newly formed Continental Army. When George Washington arrived to the battle site, he was baffled at the disorganization of the New England soldiers and called for a total reform of the army. One of the things he did during this reform was the removal of slaves and free blacks from the Continental Army. This reform lasted an insignificant amount of time as Washington feared that the free blacks that were no longer in the Continental Army would enlist

Approximately 180,000 Negros served in the Union during the Civil War. The Negro Soldier was overall a good one. One example was at the Assault on Fort Wagner, South Carolina. The 54th Massachusetts Colored troops led the assault and scaled the fort’s parapet and were only driven back after brutal hand-to-hand fighting. The Negro faced some discrimination in the Union Army in areas such as pay. It wasn’t until June 15th, 1864 that the Congress granted equal pay to Negro troops. Several Negro soldiers earned the Medal of Honor. The North attitude towards Negro troops was mainly positive, while the South did not want Negros to serve in the Confederate Army. It wasn’t until the Confederates were running low on men did they allow Negros to serve. The Negros serving in the North felt it as their duty to serve and support the cause for their own freedom.

Thesis: The pressure of abolitionists and radical republicans lead to an increase in Lincoln’s support of the slaves; Lincoln’s support acted as a catalyst towards African Americans enlisting in the military.

Though this statement only freed slaves in regions still participating in rebellion, it demonstrated a shift in purpose and gave the North moral justification to fight in the war. By thrusting themselves into the war effort, African Americans changed a war based on political disagreements and state power into a war to terminate and “forever prohibit” slavery. (Doc. D) This document may be considered bias, especially by Confederate sympathizers, because it was written by members of the Republican Party platform -- most of which heavily advocated emancipation. Lincoln, who initially remained neutral on the topic of slavery, became inspired by the willingness with which African Americans “stake their lives for us, they must be prompted by the strongest motive—even the promise of freedom. And the promise being made, must be kept.” (Doc. C) Therefore, the willing participation of blacks in the Civil War with the hopes of achieving freedom caused an entirely new goal of the war to form in the

And, still this war did not end the struggle for full reenactment and equality. Nor did the 13th amendment which abolished slavery, nor did the 14th amendment give blacks their rights as US citizens, nor did the 15th amendment which granted all men the right to vote. The constitution of Black men in the civil war began a chapter in the continuous struggle for freedom, equality and justice. When the civil war began it was illegal for blacks to join the Army. In 1792 congress banned the enlistment of African American men to join the Federal Army. In July of 1862, congress gave President Lincoln the authority to recruit African American men in the Federal Army. With enthusiasm the African American men joined the Army with the promise of becoming free men. They were also promised the freedom of their families. When the civil began in the year of 1861, it was not legal for black to join the army. However, African-Americans were serving in the federal navy, but apparently they could not join the federal army. On May 1861, “Lincoln was appointed chief clerk of the Navy Department, and on July 31st he was promoted Chief of the Navy Department, and on July 31st he was promoted to be the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, a newly-created position” (Paullin 1909, 300). It was not until July 17, 1862 when President Lincoln signed the Militia Act that blacks of African descent were allowed to join the federal Army. They also engaged in combat in the year of

About 180,000 African American people comprised 163 units that served in the Union Army, during the time of the Civil War, and many more African American people had served in the Union Navy. Both the free African-Americans and the runaway slaves had joined the fight. On the date of July 17, in the year of 1862, the U. S. Congress had passed two very important acts that would allow the enlistment of many African Americans, but the official enrollment had occurred only after the September, 1862, issuance of the, Emancipation Proclamation. In general, most white soldiers and officers, had believed that most of the black men, who had served in the Civil War, lacked the courage, and the will to fight

The Emancipation Proclamation was also the beginning of equal rights no matter the race. One of the immediate effects of this is that African American Soldiers were able to start fighting in the war. In the beginning of the war, African Americans were turned away from fighting because the other soldiers stated that this was a “White Man's War.” After the Emancipation Proclamation, however, the African Americans were able to join the army because Lincoln stated “ that such persons (African American) of suitable condition, will be received into the armed service of the United States. ” The Emancipation Proclamation also states "they labor faithfully for reasonable wages. " This shows that the recently freed slaves needed to be paid fairly

Throughout American history, African Americans have had to decide whether they belonged in the United States or if they should go elsewhere. Slavery no doubtfully had a great impact upon their decisions. However, despite their troubles African Americans made a grand contribution and a great impact on both armed forces of the Colonies and British. "The American Negro was a participant as well as a symbol."; (Quarles 7) African Americans were active on and off the battlefield, they personified the goal freedom, the reason for the war being fought by the Colonies and British. The African Americans were stuck in the middle of a war between white people. Their loyalty was not to one side or another, but to a principle, the principle of liberty.

After nearly two years of heavy Union losses and facing difficulties in raising volunteers to fight, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 and in May of 1863 the Government established the Bureau of Colored Troops to manage the growing number of black soldiers. (NARA, n.d.) A total of some 186,000 black men would serve (10% of the total Union Army) in 149 segregated