African Americans in the Civil War
In the history of the United States, African Americans have always been discriminated against. When Africans first came to America, they were taken against their will and forced to work as laborers. They became slaves to the rich, greedy, lazy Americans. They were given no pay and often badly whipped and beaten. African Americans fought for their freedom, and up until the Civil War it was never given to them. When the Civil War began, they wanted to take part in fighting to free all slaves. Their opportunity to be soldiers and fight along side white men equally did not come easily, but eventually African Americans proved themselves able to withstand the heat of battle and fight as true American heroes. The road to freedom from slavery was a long and hard for the African Americans. In the northern states the Civil War began as a fight against the succession of the Confederate states from the Union. Abraham Lincoln, who was President at this time, wanted to save the nation by bringing the southern states back to the Union, but this "Great Emancipator" ironically did not have much intention of freeing the slaves. His greatest interest lie in preventing a war from occurring. However, even he could not stop the outbreak
It was the battle that proved the true bravery of the black soldiers. Robert Shaw, commander of this infantry, was one of the few white commanders who treated his troops with dignity and respect. Though the road to equality would last well into the next century, blacks had proven themselves to be worthy opponents in battle. The regiment had shown their ability to hold off the Confederates attacks. African Americans had won their freedom and the end of slavery had finally come. Enrollment began in September of 1862 (Allen 225). They received inferior equipment and medical care. They would be commanded, led, and trained by all white officers. "The Hardest Fight was Getting into the Fight at All": Smithsonian. Many other commanders also demanded the same things for their troops. Danbury, Connecticut: Grolier Education Corp, 1994. Pressure from blacks eager to fight, from abolitionists and from a few Army officers who needed men, as well as changing circumstances, eventually altered Lincoln's policy. Even some abolitionists believed putting them in the battlefield would be putting African Americans higher than they should be.
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