Summary

During the Civil War, slaves faced a quickly changing environment, caught between the opposing sides. While Northern African Americans eventually were permitted to join the battle for the Union, some Southern African Americans revolted against their owners. Whatever their opportunity for involvement in the war effort, African Americans struggled for a Union victory that would bring them closer to freedom. African Americans during the Civil War explores this intriguoing time in American history.

Topics include:

• The U.S. War Department's Bureau for Colored Troops
• African Americans in the Union Army
• Legislation, including the Compromise of 1850, the Fugitive Slave Acts, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act
• Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and its impact on African Americans
• Racism in both Northern and Southern forces
• African-American soldiers as advocates and spokespeople for equal rights.

Specifications

Black-and-white photographs. Maps and graphs. Glossary. Further reading. Timeline. Sidebars. Fact boxes. Index.

About the Author(s)

Deborah H. DeFord is a freelance writer, editor, researcher, and packager. She holds a B.A. in English from Eastern Connecticut State University. An author of six books, DeFord has also published multiple articles and produced an advice column for young people, as well as an online, interactive cable television program.

Reviews and Awards

"Clearly written, accessible, and well organized...Useful..."
School Library Journal

“…offers valuable information about a legacy of African-American military service that is all too often overlooked.”
Children's Literature