Men of Color, To Arms!

Men of Color, To Arms!. National Mall and Memorial Parks , African American Civil War Memorial. , When the American Civil War began, African Americans saw the war as an opportunity to end slavery in the United States. However, fighting for freedom was not yet possible., Since 1792, US law prohibited African Americans from serving in the army. The navy did not exclude African Americans. Change began as the ongoing war demanded more troops. The Confiscation Act of 1861 allowed US forces to seize property used to support the rebellion. The army used the new law to hire previously enslaved men and women who were considered contraband of war. Most of the jobs were as laborers, cooks, teamsters, seamstresses, and laundresses., A year later, Congress passed the Militia Act of 1862 which allowed African Americans to join the army. Black men from South Carolina, Louisiana, and Kansas immediately enlisted., The US government formalized the organization of Black troops after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The United States Colored Troops (USCT) was created and began to recruit on a large scale. Ultimately, over 200,000 African Americans served in the US Army and Navy during the Civil War. This was about 10% of the entire US military. Troops of Native American, Asian, and Latino descent as well as White officers also served in the African American units., Black soldiers face discrimination at every turn. They couldn't become officers, earned less money than whites, and could be put to death if captured during battle. Despite these burdens, Black troops fought with valor., African Americans in the 54th Massachusetts led a heroic but doomed attack on Fort Wagner SC on July 18, 1863. At the 1864 Battle of New Market Heights, 14 USCTs earned the Medal of Honor for their bravery. African Americans had proven themselves in battle but the struggle for equality didn't end. It would take almost 100 years for Black troops to fight alongside of their White comrades in integrated units., Memorial Facts , Materials , Bronze sculpture, granite wall, stainless steel panels, Authorized by Congress , October 14, 1992, Dedication , July 18, 1998, Sculptor , Ed Hamilton, Wall of Honor Symbols , ★ Name Divider, ● Name is listed multiple times within the same regiment, ◆ Name is listed multiple times in different regiments. , Please visit the African American Civil War Museum across Vermont Avenue at the Grimke School, 1925 Vermont Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20011, [Caption:] , 4th Regiment USCT , Recruited in Baltimore, the 4th USCT fought in numerous battles. During the Battle of New Market Heights three members of the regiment earned the Medal of Honor. In the photo above, members of Company E pose at Fort Lincoln, Washington, DC after the war.