Examine the importance of African Americans to the Union victory in the Civil War.

This question requires that candidates consider the interrelationship between African Americans and the Union victory in the Civil War. Candidates may refer to slaves leaving plantations in the South after the Emancipation Proclamation, thus disrupting the economy of the South and hurting the Confederate cause. Between 180,000 and 200,000 African-American troops served in the Union Army, roughly ten percent of the total army. Though few African Americans saw battle, they performed many valuable jobs, freeing up white soldiers to fight. The most notable fighting unit was the 54th Massachusetts, which saw action in South Carolina. Some candidates might argue that African Americans had little to do with the eventual outcome as nearly all the major battles were conducted by white troops and that other factors had more to do with the outcome. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.

This question required that candidates consider the interrelationship between African Americans and the Union victory in the Civil War. Most responses were adequate but lacked substance as to specific examples of either the extent of participation, or analysis as to impact.