When the war began, many African Americans - North and South - volunteered to serve as soldiers. The vast majority were former slaves who sought to strike at slavery and improve their position in society. Desperate to avert defeat, the Confederacy authorized the enlistment of slaves on March 13, 1865, too late to affect the outcome of the war. This aspect of African American history is touched upon here.

Additional Tags

black soldier, colored soldier, enlistment of slaves, african american soldier, civil war soldier, civil war african american soldiers

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Classroom Considerations

• Knovation Readability Score: 5 (1 low difficulty, 5 high difficulty)