Roles Played By African American in Shaping the Aims and Conduct of the Civil War - Essay Sample

At the beginning of the civil world war, the African Americans participated in confederate and union sides from the onset to the very end. Sources state that an estimate of 180,000 African American men operated in more than 160 groups, according to Blattman. Both free afro Americans and the slave that escaped from the south took part in the war. The escaped slaves were referred to as "contrabands" and were legally owned by confederate states. Black men were not permitted to carry arms. Moreover, they were not accepted into the military due to fear of causing secession to the border points of Missouri, Maryland, and Kentucky. This was, however, changed in 1862 (Blattman).

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Black Americans on either side of the war mainly served in support positions, which include but not limited to attending to the wounded, craftsmen and chefs, where they were required to provide instant relief aid to the soldiers who were on the actual battlefield (Blattman). Afro Americans acted as spies and scouts of the army where they were tasked with offering valuable intelligence on the confederate troops, their plans, and recognizable topography. The knowledge acquired from these black scouts and spies were classified in specific classifications dubbed the "Black Dispatches." Their value was easily identifiable since they sometimes conducted raids, including the famous attack outside Beaufort.

Some were called on by their alleged owners or masters to fulfill their later needs in the camp. In certain circumstances, these black servants were entrusted with the deceased owners' sentimental properties and belongings to take to their families back at home. In addition to that, these African American slaves were entrusted to assume their master's position on the battlefield and were taken over by the battalions. Besides, though silently and behind the scenes, black women also played significant roles to ease the works of their husbands on the battlefield (Editors). When their husbands were taken from them, they were left behind doing jobs that their husbands ought to have done, working in plantations and household labor to provide for their families.

American Negroes became free without any effort of their own; yes, this statement holds but not entirely, and here is why. Many slaves were freed when the union forces defeated and thwarted the southern armies that kept them in bondage. They left their working position in the plantations to pursue their independence under the umbrella of protecting the northern militia (Blattman). Even so, as countless slaves continued to march to liberty, the army forces made allowances for their use. Most of them were recruited to serve in roles that did not require any military expertise, including cooking, craftsmanship, and wagon drivers. Racial discrimination, however, stopped these slaves from being armed and allowed to fight.

As you can see, these African Americans were free, yet no entirely as they could not indulge the privileges their counterparts enjoyed. The Confederate forces never treated the African American soldiers captured during the war under the standard rules of "prisoners of war." Sources state that about 300 of them were massacred after they surrendered. This clearly shows that these African Americans were not entirely free as their counterparts captured when outmarched during the war.

Works Cited

Blattman, Christopher, and Edward Miguel. "Journal of Economic Liiterature." Civil War 48.1 (2010): 3-57.

Editors, History.com. Women in the Civil War. 8 February 2019. 9 December 2020. <https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/women-in-the-civil=war>.