BGC


     How would you describe slaves in Civil War regiments? There are so many topics you can cover, but here are just a few. For one, there is the question of how regiments even started and when did they start? Other topics are the first black regiments in the North, list of all the and the blacks enlisting with the Navy.  

 

     From the very beginning of the northern union regiment, blacks had been accepted into the navy. In only two months, 1,000 men had set their sights to be a part of the Northern army, while in the South they had started using enslaved African Americans to aid in the Civil War. On July 1, 1863, The Civil War Emancipation Proclamation made legal framework for 4 million slaves of the army, and they were freed.  (Source?)

 

     Before 1862, a black regiment had been unheard of in the U.S. But on July 17, 1862, the Second Constitution and Militia Act was the first official authorization to employ Africans in federal service. In fall of 1862, there were at least 3 union regiments of Africans in New Orleans. In 1865, four million slaves were neither slaves nor citizens before the 14th Amendment was past. Slave holding states became a multimillion dollar industry in the 19th century. Americans lost more than 300,000 men in the Civil War. An Illinois lawyer states "Liberty and slavery civilization and barbarism, one or the other must perish."    

 

  On May 13, 1863, the very first black regiment that was fully organized. Massachusetts was the first state to have a black regiment in the North.  Only 120 men were the first to join a regiment in the North, but this movement was followed by many more men. Overall, about 200,000 blacks had fought for the union during the war. http://civilwargazette.wordpress.com

 

      On April 15, 1861, President Lincoln issued for 75,000 militias in the first 3 months. In that militia, there were 91,816 men. On May 3, Lincoln issued another call of troops which was confirmed by congress. 500,000 men were required but at first only 2,715 had joined for the first year. But the Acts under congress were approved July 22 and 25, 1861. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/regiment-civil-war.htm

     In conclusion, Bailey, Courtney and I agree that slaves joining the army to gain their freedom is a brave, and scary thing for African men to overcome. Their faith grew strong, and their fear grew weak.      (Source?)