African American Women During the Civil War (Studies in African American History and Culture)

This study uses an abundance of primary sources to restore African American female participants in the Civil War to history by documenting their presence, contributions and experience. Free and enslaved African American women took part in this process in a variety of ways, including black female charity and benevolence. These women were spies, soldiers, scouts, nurses, cooks, seamstresses, laundresses, recruiters, relief workers, organizers, teachers, activists and survivors. They carried the honor of the race on their shoulders, insisting on their right to be treated as "ladies" and knowing that their conduct was a direct reflection on the African American community as a whole.For too long, black women have been rendered invisible in traditional Civil War history and marginal in African American chronicles. This book addresses this lack by reclaiming and resurrecting the role of African American females, individually and collectively, during the Civil War. It brings their contributions, in the words of a Civil War participant, Susie King Taylor, "in history before the people." This study uses an abundance of primary sources to restore African American female participants in the Civil War to history by documenting their presence, contributions and experience. Free and enslaved African American women took part in this process in a variety of ways, including black female charity and benevolence. These women were spies, soldiers, scouts, nurses, cooks, seamstresses, laundresses, recruiters, relief workers, organizers, teachers, activists and survivors. They carried the honor of the race on their shoulders, insisting on their right to be treated as "ladies" and knowing that their conduct was a direct reflection on the African American community as a whole. For too long, black women have been rendered invisible in traditional Civil War history and marginal in African American chronicles. This book addresses this lack by reclaiming and resurrecting the role of African American females, individually and collectively, during the Civil War. It brings their contributions, in the words of a Civil War participant, Susie King Taylor, "in history before the people." STUDIES IN AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE......Page 1 AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN DURING THE CIVIL WAR......Page 2 CONTENTS......Page 4 PREFACE......Page 5 ABBREVIATIONS......Page 12 CHAPTER 1 IN HISTORY BEFORE THE PEOPLE: INTRODUCTION......Page 14 CHAPTER 2 FULL OF THE SPIRIT OF FREEDOM: FREEDWOMEN AND THE SYSTEM......Page 20 CHAPTER 3 FEARING SHELL NOR SHOT: SOLDIERS, SPIES, RECRUITERS & OTHER HEROES......Page 47 CHAPTER 4 SUPPORTING THEMSELVES: NURSES, LAUNDRESSES, COOKS & ENTREPRENEURS......Page 60 CHAPTER 5 WORKING FOR OUR OWN ELEVATION: REFBGEE RELIEF ACTIVITIES......Page 73 CHAPTER 6 THEIR CAUSE IS OUR CAUSE: SUCCORING AFRICAN AMERICAN SOLDIERS......Page 112 CHAPTER 7 TIES OF CONSANGUINITY AND LOVE: TEACHING FREEDPEOPLE......Page 132 CHAPTER 8 CONTENDING AGAINST OUTRAGE AND OPPRESSION: CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVISM......Page 168 CHAPTER 9 DON'T FRET FOR ME: RESISTING BY SURVIVING......Page 178 CHAPTER 10 ELOQUENT APPEALS: THE PEN AND VOICE AS WEAPONS......Page 213 CHAPTER 11 THE HONOR OF THE WHOLE AFRICAN RACE ON HER SHOULDERS: CONCLUSION......Page 229 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 247 Aandacht voor de rol van zwarte vrouwen tijdens de burgeroorlog in de VS (1861-1865), als soldaten, spionnen, verpleegsters, koks, helpsters van vluchtelingen, ondersteunsters van zwarte soldaten, activisten voor burgerrechten Ella Forbes. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 229-240) And Index.