Though at first shunned when it was made clear that the Civil War was to be a white man's fight, Northern blacks sought to contribute to the war effort from the moment volunteers were called. Initially taken in as contraband, free blacks and ex-slaves eventually donned uniforms and fought in more than 400 battles to reunite the Union and free their brethren from bondage. Incurring blatant prejudice that saw black soldiers underpaid and denied officer commissions, the vast majority endured hardship and deprivation in battle after battle in an attempt to demonstrate bravery and dedication to the cause. With their willingness and ability to fight initially questioned, African Americans repeatedly proved their valor. Discover in ""African Americans and the Civil War"" how, according to President Abraham Lincoln, black soldiers made the difference between victory and defeat.

 

This book is aimed at children in secondary school.

There are 144 pages in this book. This book was published 2009 by Chelsea House Publishers .

Tim McNeese is associate professor of history at York College in York, Nebraska. Ronald A. Reis is the author of 15 books, including young adult biographies of Eugenie Clark, Jonas Salk, and Lou Gehrig.