1. Posted on 8 January, 2013

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    Bruce Levine on the reaction in the African-American community to Union recruitment efforts during the Civil War: There were at least some slaves who still believed what others had been telling them during most of the war, namely … ‘This is a white man’s war, stay out.’ … And others, because having just been freed and finally given the opportunity to live the life of free men and women, didn’t relish the prospect of immediately being separated from their families and possibly killed before they could realize the benefits of that freedom. But very, very large numbers responded very enthusiastically to the chance finally to, in great numbers, take organized collective action in pursuit of the freedom of their people. 200,000 African-Americans fought for the Union. Unidentified African-American soldier in Union corporal’s uniform via the Library of Congress. View in High-Res

    Bruce Levine on the reaction in the African-American community to Union recruitment efforts during the Civil War:

    There were at least some slaves who still believed what others had been telling them during most of the war, namely … ‘This is a white man’s war, stay out.’ … And others, because having just been freed and finally given the opportunity to live the life of free men and women, didn’t relish the prospect of immediately being separated from their families and possibly killed before they could realize the benefits of that freedom. But very, very large numbers responded very enthusiastically to the chance finally to, in great numbers, take organized collective action in pursuit of the freedom of their people.

    200,000 African-Americans fought for the Union.

    Unidentified African-American soldier in Union corporal’s uniform via the Library of Congress.

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