1. African Americans and Women in the Civil War

2. 10% of the Union army were African Americans 18% of Union sailors were African Americans They were organized into regiments and their commanding officers were white Some African Americans were offered freedom if they would serve for a certain number of years

3. At first, they received lower pay than white soldiers at first ($10 but they made them pay for their own clothes and supplies so really it was $7). White soldiers got $13 and they were given free equipment They refused pay for 18 months to protest their lower wages Then gained equal pay in 1864 Nearly 40,000 black soldiers died over the course of the war Even though slavery was banned in the North, many African Americans were treated poorly in the Union Army

4. One of the most famous regiments was the 54 th Massachusetts led by white abolitionists. Black regiments were not used for combat until this regiment. No one believed they would be good combat soldiers After a large battle in South Carolina in which nearly half were wounded, captured or killed, they gained respect and honor for their bravery 16 Medal of Honor awards were given to this group

5. We The movie “Glory” which we will watch in next week is about this regiment. There is a memorial dedicated to them now standing in Boston, Massachusetts. The commander seen is Colonel Robert Shaw, a white man who led them. It took 14 years for the artist to make it

6. Many white Southerners were outraged by seeing African American soldiers fighting for the North. They threatened to execute any that were captured

7. Women help in the Civil War Many women worked in the factories and managed farms while the men were away They suffered loss of husbands, fathers, brothers and sons They made ammunition, blankets, They collected food, clothing and medicine They also raised money for supplies

8. Clara Barton One example of a woman helping in the war was Clara Barton She began collecting supplies and delivering them to the front lines while caring for the wounded and dying She was able to give the surgeons bandages at the Battle of Antietam when they were out of supplies She organized the American Red Cross in 1881

9. Estimated about 400 women disguised themselves as men so they could fight Some fought because of patriotism, some fought for money and some fought so they could stay with heir husband or relative They worse loose or layered clothing and cut their hair short. Some women who were caught were usually sent home, on rare cases they went to prison But most soldiers respected them for doing so. It’s hard not to respect a fellow soldier

10. Female spies and nurses also worked near the front lines. Some women soldiers did service as spies, including Tennessee’s Mary Ann Pitman. Because few men expected women to be politicized to the point that they would pass secrets, women were able to glean useful information from the enemy. Both Confederate and Unionist women found various ways to further their respective causes by obtaining information about the enemy and passing it along. Women hid messages within their hoop skirts, corsets, and parasols. Some achieved fame during the war and continue to be well-known today, including Harriet Tubman, Belle Boyd, Rose Greenhow, and Elizabeth Van Lew. Some, such as Nashville’s Mary Frances “Fanny” Battle, who spied and smuggled for the Confederacy, shied away from discussing their clandestine work after the war.