Slaves, sailors, citizens
Subtitle: African Americans in the Union navy
By: Steven J. Ramold.
Publisher: Northern Illinois University Press
Published: 2002
Place of publication: DeKalb
Language: eng
Number of pages: 253
Subjects: United States. Navy -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865.; United States. Navy -- African Americans -- History -- 19th century.; African American sailors -- History -- 19th century.; African American sailors -- Social conditions -- 19th century.; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Participation, African American.; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Naval operations.
Description: "Perhaps one in six Union navy sailors was African American, many of them former slaves. This history shows that the free blacks and "contraband" slaves who joined the navy during the Civil War were essential to Northern victories at sea. Through their role in preserving the Union, they helped to win recognition for African Americans as full citizens.".

"African Americans joined the U.S. Navy from the first days of the war and soon demonstrated to a skeptical Northern population that they would fight for their freedom. Their service in the navy paved the way for their wider employment in the U.S. Army. Faced with the hazards of battle, African American sailors performed with great heroism, and several earned the nation's highest military tribute, the Medal of Honor.".

"Despite the lack of official records on the subject, Ramold has combed through mountains of memoirs, court documents, pension reports, and other sources to discover the true magnitude of African Americans' contribution to the naval effort. The book present a description of the lives of these sailors from enlistment of discharge, telling the story as much as possible in the words of the sailors themselves. A dozen rate photographs illustrate the range of African American service."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 211-232) and index.
Table of contents: title: Machine generated contents note: Acknowledgments ix; title: Introduction 3; title: 1 "AMERICA HAS SUCH TARS"; title: African American Sailors before the Civil War 6; title: 2 "THE WANTS OF THE SERVICE"; title: The Politics of African American Enlistment 25; title: 3 A UNIQUE SET OF MEN; title: The Demographics of African American Sailors 54; title: 4 "SICK OF THE SEA"; title: Everyday Life in the Union Navy 81; title: 5 "ENERGETICALLY AND BRAVELY-NONE MORE SO"; title: African American Sailors in Combat 116; title: 6 BEFORE THE BENCH; title: African American Sailors in the Navy CriminalJustice System 138; title: 7 ONE WHO WAS THERE; title: Charles B. Fisher, United States Navy 166; title: Conclusion 182; title: Notes 187; title: Bibliography 211; title: Index 233.