The 54 Massachusetts regiment was one of the first black system enlisted in the North. John A. Andrew, an abolitionist governor of Massachusetts promoted the development of the all black 54th Massachusetts Regiment. He believed they had leadership and great spirits. 180,00 African Americans stepped forward to fight for the Union’s military.
1863: African Americans encountered a lot of prejudice. They had degrading jobs in the field, as in cooking, cleaning, digging latrines, and having the most dangerous battle positions. 70,000 were massacred.
While some Southerners abandoned their plantations for safe reasons the slaves were in charge and they had to administrate the farms. Some of the slaves in the south served secretly as spies or scouts, and were also producing food for the Union.
Occasionally unchained slaves formed their own military units. They began to mold their civilian lives. Many slaves insisted on getting a pay for all the work. If they didn’t they would run away from their owners and go to The north or West. Lincoln had a lot of promised freedom.
I heard was how black soldiers were paid 3$ more than the white soldiers. But it took three years for equal pay. Things are starting to change… I feel hopeful and anxious. Why can’t time pass quicker! These days are so gloomy but thrilling. I see progress, but not enough. I have faith in Lincoln’s ideas.
Antill, Marwan. “The 54th Massachusetts Regiment.” Youtube.com. N.p., 24 Feb.
2013. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=XALey2P5UHo>.
An outsider looking inside an enchanted foreign land 