What Role Did African Americans Play During The Civil War?

The main reason behind the American Civil War of 1861-1865 is considered to be the abolition of slavery (of course, there were many other factors, but this is the basic reason). As African-Americans had been put through many hardships to fuel this cruel laborious trade, they felt strongly about fighting for theirs and other slave’s freedoms. They fought long and hard in many ways leading up to the Civil War, but the conflict offered a first real opportunity to provide a primary attack against the system that had treated them so badly over the years. Thus, many took up the opportunity to join the fight, and although their chance to fight as equals alongside white men did not come easily, they were able to prove they were just as battle-ready as anyone, and played a huge role in the outcome of the war.

They fought on both the Union (initially twenty three states, with a few further states joining throughout the course of the conflict) and Confederate (comprised mainly of seven or so deep south cotton states, so called for their booming cotton trades which at the time relied so heavily on the free labour of African-American slaves) sides during the conflict, but the make-up of the respective armies differed in ways substantial enough to turn the tide of the clashes. The Union side developed a segregated army (meaning a separation between African-Americans and white peoples), while the Confederate’s ranks were mixed.

Eventually, after about 1,030,000 casualties – roughly 3% of the population of the time - including about 620,000 deaths of soldiers (two thirds by disease), the American Civil War came to an end. This in turn started a mass chain of events which led to the eventual abolition of exploitative slave labour.

They were usually used as spies, cooks, scouts, sailors, nurses, teachers, and organizers and most of the black soldiers jobs were to do all the thing that the white soldiers didn't want to do until the end of the war when they were in the front lines basically acting as a sheild for the white soldiers in back of them..... Peace out

The American Civil War was fought between the US federal government and eleven southern states that revolted to break away from the Union. When the war started, the black men offered their services without any qualms. Tragically, the black were refused enlistment on both the sides. The blacks wanted success for the Union because it meant freedom for them. In spite of the fact that blacks had helped America win independence in 1983 and aided America in every war, they were still barred from the armed force just because of the colour of the skin.

Though history states that slavery was the cause of the war, but what really pulled the plug was the barring of blacks from joining both the armies. On 31st July, 1863 Lincoln ordered all physically fit blacks to be enlisted in the Union Army. Lincoln made valiant efforts to have the blacks enlisted. However discrimination still persisted for the blacks. For instance, the blacks got inferior quality weapons, inadequate medical care and comparatively less salaries, compared to the whites. However the blacks did not give up. Besides fighting for the sake of their army, they also acted as informants who gave information about the enemy hideouts. Black men acted as cooks and tea-masters while women served as nurses. By virtue of the Thirteenth Amendment on 18th December 1865, slavery was abolished and the Black was a freeman.

They fought on both the Union and Confederate sides, but the Union side was segregated and the Confederate side was mixed.

They were used in many ways including to dig trenches and other things that the generals of the north did not want the white soldiers to be doing

True, but many also tried to live on normal lives (as best they could)