like the 54th regiment..
2007-03-25 13:28:09 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
As decided in the Dred Scott case, blacks were not citizens of the United States, so they would not have been welcome in military service. It was only later, when it became clear that the Civil War would be long and grueling, that both sides accepted black soldiers.
2007-03-25 13:35:41 · answer #1 · answered by Anne Marie 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Most people, both North and South, didn't believe that blacks were equal to whites and that they wouldn't (and even couldn't) therefore they were not expected to be reliable as soldiers.
When they did enter the military (Confederacy as well as Union) they were primarily used for support functions.
This began to change as President Lincoln came to realize that he needed them for fighting soldiers. A similar discussion was being held in the South.
Within the Union military the attitude that blacks couldn't existed right up into World War II. What most people don't seem to realize is that looking on blacks as less that whites also existed in the North. Some of the worse of the racial riots (during the civil war) occurred in the North.
2007-03-25 21:00:37 · answer #2 · answered by Randy 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Fear. If you don't want trouble from a suppressed minority you don't want to teach them how to fight. A black minority that could read and fight might exert themselves with force after the war and take jobs away from whites.
2007-03-25 20:48:13 · answer #3 · answered by Zack 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Because they were considered sub human by most people (North and South).
2007-03-25 21:24:00 · answer #4 · answered by homer28b 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because whites at that time didn't think African Americans were fit to defend their country. : (
2007-03-25 20:37:46 · answer #5 · answered by sangreal 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋