Can you imagine going to war without a weapon to defend yourself when bullets are flying past your head hitting people behind you? That is what African Americans had to do. Since African Americans had no weapons to defend their self, 12% of the federal army was African American by the end of the war.

Frederick Douglass tried to give black the right to fight in The American Civil War, but the Lincoln administration (people who work for the president) said no. They feared the slave states of Missouri, Kentucky, and Maryland would leave the United States of America and join they southern states in the Confederacy. That changed on September 27,1862.

Rhode Island was the first state to call for black troops. On January 1, 1863 Lincoln called for black troops. About 178,000 men volunteered. 134,111 came from slave holding states. Most of the blacks who fought in the war were fighting for the Union. The slaves had to walk from their home to the north to fight in the American Civil War. The African Americans help the Union army by cooking, by being spies, scouts, nurses, and laborers.

About 20,000 black men fought in the navy. Even though the slaves were not allowed to fight in the army, the slaves were allowed to fight in the navy long before the war started.

Blacks fought in nearly 500 battles. Also including the 39 major battles.

Those 134,111 black men were paid less then half the price the whites were paid. They also received poor supplies like clothes. In 1864, the congress granted the slaves the equal amount of pay and they were well supplied with supplies.

Blacks fought in 39 major battles and 410 minor battles. They were even there when General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army at Appomattox.