African Americans in the Civil War A Timeline

November 6, 1860 Abraham Lincoln is elected president.

December 10, 1860 South Carolina is the first state to secede the Union.

February 9, 1861 Confederate states unite under Jefferson Davis.

March 2, 1861 Congress has no goal to end slavery.

March 4, 1861 Lincoln is sworn in as president. In his first inaugural speech Lincoln states: “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.” Lincoln has no plans to free the slaves.

June 8, 1861 General Butler declares slaves who come near Fort Monroe "contrabands of war." Blacks are not people, they are property. How would you feel if someone owned you? Could sell you? Take you away from your parents?

July 22, 1861 Congress issues a “Joint Resolution on the War.” It declares that the war is being fought save the Union not to end slavery.

August 6, 1861 Congress passes the "Confiscation Acts." This forgives slaves who fought or worked for the Confederate Army. It also releases them of further duty to their masters. It authorized Union forces to seize “rebel property,” or slaves.

August 30, 1861 General Fremont gives freedom to all slaves owned by Confederates in Missouri. Lincoln later changes the General’s orders. He removes Fremont from command.

December 1, 1861 Simon Cameron is the Secretary of the Treasury. He writes a report for President Lincoln every year. Cameron writes that slaves should be emancipated. Lincoln does not like this. He makes Cameron rewrite the report.

March 6, 1862 Lincoln changes his mind. He wants to end slavery. He asks Congress to help him to end slavery. The government will pay for any slave owners free. April 10, 1862 Congress passes a joint resolution declaring it will give money to states if they want to abolish slavery.

April 16, 1862 On April 16 Lincoln signs the the “Compensated Emancipation Act.” This gives $300 to Union masters in the District of Columbia for each slave they free. Slaves who agreed to leave the country are paid up to $100 each.

May 9, 1862 General Hunter issues "General Order No. 11." He declares martial law in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. He also frees the slaves in those states. Hunter asks African Americans to be soldiers. He starts the 1st South Carolina regiment.

May 19, 1862 Lincoln takes back General Hunter's May 9 order.

July, 1862 General John W. Phelps begins giving equipment to three regiments of Africans in Louisiana. General Phelps resigns after General Butler disagrees with him. August 22, 1862 General Butler needs reinforcements. He authorizes the recruiting of black soldiers in New Orleans.

August 22, 1862 Horace Greeley publishes “A Prayer for Twenty Thousand” in the New York Tribune. He scolds Lincoln for stopping General Hunter from freeing slaves.

August 25, 1862 Abraham Lincoln responds to Greeley with a letter in the New York Times. It is titled, “Emancipation or Preservation of the Union?” He tells readers he wants to save the Union not end slavery.

September 23, 1862 President Lincoln changed his mind. The Emancipation Proclamation is published.

September 27, 1862 The 1st Regiment Louisiana Native Guards, becomes the first black regiment to be officially put into the Union Army.

January 1, 1863 The Emancipation Proclamation takes effect. President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation declares that all slaves in Confederate states will be free.

March 21, 1863 Frederick Douglass writes “Men of Color, To Arms!” urging African Americans to join the Army. “…The case is before you. This is our golden opportunity. Let us accept it, and forever wipe out the dark reproaches unsparingly hurled against us by our enemies. Let us win for ourselves the gratitude of our country, and the best blessings of our posterity through all time…”

May 22, 1863 General Order 143 creates the Bureau of Colored Troops. It is created to recruit and organize black regiments. Three or more white officers will be in charge of each black regiment.

May 27, 1863 Eight Black regiments take part in the successful attack on Port Hudson, Louisiana.

July 18, 1863 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry leads the attack on Fort Wagner, South Carolina. They lose half their troops.

April 12, 1864 Confederate General Nathan Forrest captures Fort Pillow in Tennessee. There were 262 African American and 295 white soldiers. Only 62 of the black soldiers live. The Confederates killed most of the garrison after it surrendered. They buried Black soldiers alive. They set fire to tents containing Union wounded. Forrest later becomes the first imperial wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.

April 18, 1864 At Poison Spring, Arkansas, members of the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteers who are wounded or wish to surrender are shot by the Confederates. "Remember Poison Spring" became a rallying cry for black troops.

June 15, 1864 Congress raises the pay of black soldiers to make it equal to that of whites. Slaves built the U.S. Capitol building in Washington D.C.

March 3, 1865 Congress passes a resolution to emancipate the wives and children of African-American soldiers. A slave family in South Carolina, 1862. Photo courtesy Library of Congress.

March 13, 1865 The Confederacy approves arming slaves as soldiers. But only if as their masters approve.

April 9, 1865 Civil War ends. Over 186,000 African-Americans had served in the Union army More than 38,000 had died.

More Information http://mac110.assumption.edu/aas/Intros/soldiers.html http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001303.shtml or for pictures http://www.sonofthesouth.net/