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Frederick Douglass Involvement Of Black Soldiers In The Civil War

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When Union troops invaded Confederate states, thousands of black slaves flocked to Union camps for a chance to fight and a chance for freedom. Many of these men were unofficially allowed to enlist in the Union Army. After President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, Jan. 1, 1863, black Soldiers were officially allowed to participate in the war. Black Soldiers distinguished themselves in battle on numerous occasions. On Feb. 1, 1863, Col. T. W. Higginson, commander of the 1st Regiment South Carolina Volunteers, gave this report after the St. Mary’s River expedition in Georgia and Florida: "No officer in this regiment now doubts that the key to the successful prosecution of this war lies in the unlimited employment of black troops… It would have been madness to attempt [the battle], with …show more content…

1863: 54th Massachusetts Infantry In early 1863, the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, an all black regiment of the Union Army, was activated. More than 1,000 blacks about 25 percent of whom were former slaves from 24 states and several countries enlisted in the regiment. Frederick Douglass, best known as a black orator and abolitionist, was also instrumental in the Union victory of the Civil War. He urged Lincoln to free slaves and to arm all blacks willing to fight. Douglass, a former slave, recruited his own two sons to serve in the Union Army. Douglass also helped to establish the all-black 54th Massachusetts Regiment of the Union Army. On Aug. 13, 1863, Douglass was directed by the secretary of war to travel from his hometown of Rochester, N.Y., to Vicksburg, Miss., “to assist in recruiting colored troops.” The 54th proved their bravery during the storming of Fort Wagner on James Island, S.C., July 18, 1863. The 54th led several white regiments in the assault, through darkness and across a marsh with water 4-feet

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Regardless of this, the unit showed extraordinary courage and dedication (“The 54th”). Their attack on Fort Wagner caused great damage on the fort, leading the confederates to leave it soon afterwards (“The 54th”). Glory tells this story almost flawlessly but there are some minor historical inaccuracies throughout the movie: Robert Gould Shaw in the film is shown to accept the job of commanding the

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The 54th Massachusetts Infantry(Colored), commanded by COL Robert G. Shaw, was chosen to lead the attack on Fort Wagner. While not the first major engagement by a colored regiment, the decision to push the 54th as the lead advance unit was a first time this happened since the formation of all-colored units. The heart and effort showed by the 54th proved inspirational to friendly units and positively affected the efforts of Union forces. The Union forces suffered substantial casualties during the initial charge on the fort, but did not let that deter them and they eventually scaling the slopes and breaching the fort walls. As forces continued to move into the fort, and many hand-to-hand battles ensued, the numbers pointed towards a sure victory for the Union forces.

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The men of the 54th regiment proved themselves worthy of the freedom for which they were fighting, and the respect of their fellow white soldiers. Through the eyes of Shaw the movie glory is told . At the beginning of the movie, Shaw is fighting in a battle and manages to survive despite heavy union losses. Horrified by the violence of the war

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In the battle scene, the 54th is pinned down and taking massive amounts of enemy fire, and yet none of the soldiers are making any sort of move to fight back. Their comrades are dying all around them, but the men simply lie there in the sand covering their heads. Thus it falls to Colonel Robert Shaw to be the beacon of courage for his men in order to lead them to glory. While the movie is undoubtedly about the struggles of the African American men of the 54th, it cannot be overlooked that at every turn they require guidance and mercy from their benevolent white colonel. It would be unrealistic for a company of African American men to accomplish what they did in the Civil War without Shaw’s help, but it is still worth noting that in some ways this feels largely like movies where the white man comes to save the savages (e.g. Dances With Wolves, Avatar, The Last Samurai).

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”3 Because of Francis Marion’s tactics, the Lieutenant failed in his attempt to find the militia. Joining General gates in the Battle of Camden, Marion was in command of the Williamsburg Militia.3 The militia consisted of irregulars such as farmers, whites and blacks, free and slave, and Native Americans. It’s believed that this band of men was the first integrated fighting force in America. This militia never fought in head-on warfare. Instead, they defeated many larger enemy groups and had many victories using guerilla warfare.

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In the early 19th century, slavery had been the main issue in America. The issue of slavery got critical that it separated America. The north (Union) prohibited slavery in America, while the south (Confederate) allowed slavery. However, majority of African-Americans were treated poorly in America. In the Union Army, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw was given “to raise and command one of the first regiments of African American troops in the Union army, the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, by Massachusetts Governor John A. Andrew.”

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The Battle of Fort Pillow, also known as the Fort Pillow massacre, was fought on April 12, 1864, at Fort Pillow on the Mississippi River in Henning, Tennessee, during the American Civil War. The battle ended with a massacre of Union troops attempting to surrender to Confederate Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Military follower David J. Eicher said, “Fort Pillow marked one of the bleakest, saddest events of American military history.” and the Confederates calling it uncivilized. In response the Confederacy passed a law in May 1863 demanding that black U.S. soldiers captured while fighting against the Confederacy would be tried as slave opposers in civil courts; a capital offense with automatic sentence of death.

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This excludes union-occupied areas of Louisiana and Virginia as well. Many abolitionist highly criticized the compromises, but they highly preferred the clause in the proclamation that welcomed slaves into the Union army. The Freedmen, as they were called, help the army, which has suffered numerous casualties, had greatly increased the man power and fire power. More than 186,000 former slaves had join the Union army by the end of the war. In paragraph 6 of The Slow End of Slavery, it states,”More than 50,000 black men joined the union army in 1863; by the end of the war, 186,000 - one of every five black men under 45 -

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African Americans had an extremely pivotal role in the outcome and consequences of the Civil War. This group of people were enslaved, and forced to work in horrible conditions, for the whole day, without pay. Slaves were one of the main causes of the Civil War. The issue of Slavery, which resulted in the eventual economic and social division between the North and South, caused the creation of the Confederate States. African Americans did not only unintentionally cause the war, but they also effected the outcome of the war, and the eventual consequences the nation would face after the war.

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One of the main forces that brought the men of the 54th together was their shared goal and purpose. They were fighting for something greater than themselves - they were fighting for their freedom and the freedom of all African Americans. This common cause helped to unite them and give them a sense of pride and purpose. In addition, the leadership of Colonel Shaw was one of the main reasons. He was a compassionate and fair leader who was able to inspire and motivate his soldiers.

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The legendary abolitionist and orator Frederick Douglass was one of the most important social reformers of the nineteenth century. Being born into slavery on a Maryland Eastern Shore plantation to his mother, Harriet Bailey, and a white man, most likely Douglass’s first master was the starting point of his rise against the enslavement of African-Americans. Nearly 200 years after Douglass’s birth and 122 years after his death, The social activist’s name and accomplishments continue to inspire the progression of African-American youth in modern society. Through his ability to overcome obstacles, his strive for a better life through education, and his success despite humble beginnings, Frederick Douglass’s aspirations stretched his influence through

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