The Fight for Freedom

The Fight for Freedom. Sandy Point and the Evolution of Civil Rights. , In March 1864, a regiment of United States Colored Troops (USCT) camping in Annapolis inspired William Evans, who was enslaved on this land, to self-liberate by fleeing Sandy Point to enlist in the 30th USCT., Evans was among 800 USCTs transferred to the U.S. Navy, where they joined integrated mariner crews. Nearly 18,000 African Americans served in the U.S. Navy during the Civil War, about 20% of the force, including about 2,300 Black Marylanders, more than any other state. Black sailors faced discrimination, and were often held at lower ranks and pay grades. Evans remained a "Landsman," the lowest rank in the Navy, until his honorable discharge in 1867., Evans and his wife, Harriet, had five children. He died of tuberculosis, perhaps contracted while in the Navy, in 1873. , < Sidebar: > , Risking all for Freedom , William Evans was not the only enslaved person to self-liberate from the Sandy Point plantation. In 1825 and 1826, two men, James Richardson and Andrew Gantt risked harsh punishment by escaping. It is unclear if Richardson and Gantt were ever captured and returned. These examples illustrate the risks that African Americans were willing to take to obtain their freedom.