African Americans served in the Civil War, which is why they must have had some sort of effect on the war. In this essay, I will show how and give multiple examples of how African Americans actually affected the Civil War. This essay will cover three main topics, African Americans on the Confederate side, African Americans on the Union side, and finally the other roles (including discrimination) that African Americans played in the war that was specifically referring to neither side. . African Americans served in the Civil War on both sides, because of this they faced discrimination and in many ways influenced one of the most devastating conflicts in American history. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay African Americans in the Confederate Army: Blacks served in the Confederate Army, however, most black soldiers were impressed as slave labor. . While others were usually brought from their masters and tended to their master's needs in the camp. In some of these cases, if the master was killed, the servant was expected to return his master's personal belongings to his family. From then on, there were a few instances where a few servants were tasked with taking their master's place in the line of fire, and for this reason they were adopted by the regiment. In 1863, marked near the midpoint of the war, state militias made up of free African American men presented themselves to the Confederate war office but refused, due to their lack and need for soldiers. Confederates. The war continued, and as the war dragged on, the issue of the lack of Confederate soldiers became more and more apparent and was eventually debated in the Confederate Congress. Confederate Major General Patrick Cleburne proposed the idea of ​​arming slaves. This proposal was very unpopular and sparked widespread disagreement. Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederacy, actually ordered the suppression of Cleburne's proposal. Legislation was eventually passed that if drafted into the Confederate Army, some black slaves would be freed. However, they needed their master's consent to do so, and only a small group of black soldiers were conscripted due to this legislation. African Americans in the Union Army: Blacks also served in the Union Army, although blacks were still discriminated against. However, there were many differences in the way they were treated and used during the war. In the Union Army, freed black men volunteered to serve in the Union Army early in the war. However, they were not even allowed to enlist, even though African Americans had served in the Navy and Army during the War of 1812 and the American Revolution. This was due to a 1792 law that prevented them from carrying or using weapons in the U.S. military. Not only that, but "President Lincoln also feared that accepting black men into the military would result in the success of border states like Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri." Eventually, free black men were finally allowed to enlist in late 1862. If a slave's master was in the Confederate Army, that freed the slave. This was due to the Militia Act, the Second Confiscation, and President Lincoln's signature. Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863. This was "The first official authorization to employ African Americans in the service.