After the glory: the struggles of Black Civil War veterans (original) (raw)
Related papers
Is This the Fruit of Freedom?" Black Civil War Veterans in Tennessee
trace.tennessee.edu
My interest in black Civil War veterans began in a research seminar during my first semester of graduate work at Tennessee, and from the very start my advisor, Steve Ash, generously offered his time and expertise. His close reading of draft after draft (and the sacrifice of countless red pens) vastly improved the final product. Whatever progress I have made as a writer and historian is largely the result of his efforts. Throughout my time at Tennessee, Dan Feller was encouraging and enthusiastic; he, Kurt Piehler, and Asafa Jalata deserve special thanks for their service on my dissertation committee.
Three Generations, Three Wars: African American Veterans
The Gerontologist, 2016
This article emerged from pilot research exploring experiences of war and suffering among African American veterans who served in World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War. Men's experiences as soldiers reflected both racism and the social change that occurred in the Unites States while they served. We used techniques of narrative elicitation, conducting qualitative, ethnographic interviews with each of five veterans in his home. Interviews focused on unique and shared experiences as an African American man and a soldier. Three important themes emerged: (a) Expectations related to War--Although men viewed service to country as an expected part of life, they also expected equal treatment in war, which did not occur; (b) Suffering as an African American--Informants interpreted experiences of suffering in war as related to the lower status of African American servicemen; and (c) Perception of present identity--Each man was honed by the sum of his experiences, including those of com...
CIVIL RIGHTS PIONEERS: BUILDING RACE CONSCIOUSNESS IN THE WWII ARMED FORCES
Diasporas and Cultures of Mobilities, Vol 3, 2016
The black American ‘Citizen Soldiers’ who participated in the ‘Good War’ also form part of the ‘Greatest Generation,’ yet they are barely visible in the general histories of the Second World War (WWII). Most scholars agree that WWII was a watershed event that affected people all around the world yet African American soldiers are generally absent in the historiography of the era. Black military veterans were active participants in the panoply of the civil rights movement after the war, yet they are mostly missing in action in that narrative as well. Why have representations of WWII and the civil rights movement generally overlooked the multitude of black soldier’s experiences? How can we ‘save the black privates’ from obscurity? This work will highlight the agency of African American veterans who worked collectively and individually to fight racism during the war years of the 1940s, and also, were empowered to provide leadership and military skills as foot soldiers within the long civil rights movement.
The Journal of Economic History, 2006
By the end of the Civil War 186,017 black men had served in the Union Army, roughly three-quarters of whom were former slaves. Because most black soldiers were illiterate farm workers, the war exposed them to a much broader world. Their wartime experience depended upon their peers, their commanding officers, and where their regiment toured and affected their later life outcomes. In the short run the combat units benefited from company homogeneity, which built social capital and minimized shirking, but in the long run men's human capital and acquisition of information was best improved by serving in heterogeneous companies. artime experience can radically alter the course of men's life. For example, service in World War II and the Vietnam War lowered later earnings because of lost labor market experience, whereas employment during mobilization for World War II permanently raised women's labor force participation rates and lowered both men's and women's wages because of the increase in women's labor supply. 1 Less is known about the effects of past wars. Brevet Major General Alving C. Voris wrote that the Civil War "has greatly interrupted my line of business." 2 Other soldiers, however, may have gained from their Civil War service because it exposed them to a much broader world. This was particularly true for black soldiers, many of whom where illiterate farm workers when they entered the army and over three-quarters of whom were slaves. Ex-slaves faced the challenge of translating their new legal freedom into economic opportunity. A former slave would be
2021
As with most researchable source material, the voices of minorities and marginalized groups are often unavailable, nonexistent, or heavily obscured by the voices of their more privileged counterparts. The Civil War, for instance, is studied through a predominantly white lens, despite the importance of African American soldiers, civilians, and enslaved individuals enveloped in this conflict. This paper aims to analyze the African American perspective on the Civil War (1861-1865) and early antebellum period through the words of these individuals and the experiences of David Demus, an infantryman in the all-black 54th Massachusetts Regiment, and his family. Utilizing correspondence, letters, military and pension records, and individual black testimonials, the following is an attempt to more fully understand life on both the battlefield and home front for African Americans during an era plagued by war, slavery, and systematic racism, as well as how these individuals ultimately contributed to the evolution of societal ideals and behaviors within the scope of race, still pertinent today. On July 17, 1862, after facing well over a year of bitter combat losses to the Confederate Army, Union President Abraham Lincoln signed Congress's Second Confiscation and Militia Acts. The passage of these acts not only emphasized how urgently enervated and desperate the preexisting Union forces were, but would solidify Lincoln's switch from the rejection of black soldiers joining Union forces in fear of losing the support of border states to allowing and, eventually, fully supporting the inclusion of black troops. While the act itself was not a conscriptive call to arms, it authorized Lincoln "to employ as many persons of African descent as he may deem necessary and proper for the suppression of this rebellion.. . in such manner as he may judge best for the public welfare" as well as inspired blacks and "Southern contraband individuals" to join the fight for unity and freedom. Serving as one of the first all-black regiments, the 54th Massachusetts Infantry led by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw set a precedent and an inspiration for minority participation during the war. As noted by James Henry Gooding, a free black man living in New Bedford, Massachusetts, "Does it not behoove every black man to consider.. . whether he cannot be one of the glorious 54th?. .. There is more dignity in carrying a musket in defense of liberty and right than there is in shaving a man's face, or waiting on somebody's table." Despite the bravery and strength millions of black soldiers and their families had shown during this period, the voices of these individuals are often unheard or obscured by white men's voices: Additionally, it also depended on whether there was an audience that was willing to both listen and document the lives of USCT (United States Colored Troops) * Tora Ueland is a senior from Salem, Massachusetts. She is currently pursuing her BA in history with minors in forensic science and English. Her research interests include the Civil War and the history of criminal behavior.
Pensions and Retirement Among Black Union Army Veterans
The Journal of Economic History, 2010
I examine the effects of an unearned income transfer on the retirement rates and living arrangements of black Union Army veterans. I find that blacks were more than twice as responsive as whites to income transfers in their retirement decisions and 6 to 8 times as responsive in their choice of independent living arrangements. My findings have implications for understanding racial differences in rates of retirement and independent living at the beginning of the twentieth century, the rise in retirement prior to 1930, and the subsequent convergence in black-white retirement rates and living arrangements.
Wearing the gray suit : black enlistment and the Confederate military
Doctoral thesis, University of London., 2001
This thesis examines the role and place of slaves and free black Southerners in the Confederate Army dwing the American Civil War 1861-1865. Much has been written on the use of slaves and free blacks as a conscript labour force for the Confederacy during the war, but there has been little serious examination of their role within the South's military infrastructure. I argue that black Southerners participated for varied reasons and situations throughout the war as an earlier version of twentieth century military support staff Their role in the regiments of the Confederacy provided them with the title of soldier. It was this role which was defined in Confederate legislative policy, supported through military regulations and verified in company muster and pay sheets. In the post war period these same sources of documentation were utilised by Southern legislators, white veterans, and eventually black 'army veterans,' within the former Confederate states, to establish, Confederate veterans pension benefit. Although there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate that, depending upon the circumstance, some blacks Southerners actually fought for the Confederacy, overall these occurrences were rare. I argue that up until March 1865, instances of black Southerners in combat situations had more to do with the confusion and 'fog of battle,' then a concerted effort by the military high command to place blacks in the ranks as actual combatants. This idea is further supported in the stories written by white veterans, who, in publications like the Confederate Veteran, spoke of such "occurrences" with pride, while at the same time tempered them with concern for the safety of their property. Overall the research addresses the issues sunounding the role and place of black Southerners within the Confederate Army, and the reasoning behind their involvement in the war effort.
A Historic Context for the African American Military Experience
The purpose of this report is to recognize and highlight the contributions of African Americans to the military history of the United States. This is accomplished by providing a historic context on the African American military experience for use by Department of Defense (DoD) cultural resource managers. Managers can use this historic context, to recognize significant sites, buildings, and objects on DoD property related to African American military history by nominating them for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. In this manner, civilian and military personnel currently serving in all major services will be made aware of the contributions of African Americans to our military heritage. While the focus of this work is on all-black military units, significant individuals will be recognized also.