African American Civil War Museum: 3D Gallery

The Civil War

The Civil War in the United States began in 1861, after decades of simmering tensions between northern and southern states over slavery, states’ rights and westward expansion. The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 caused seven southern states to secede and form the Confederate States of America; four more states soon joined them. to edit description

The 54th Regiment

The 54th Regiment of Boston, Massachusetts consisted of entirely African American soldiers. They joined the cause after the Emancipation Proclamation was passed. This act gave slaves freedom in the Southern States. The 54th was the prime example of what African American soldiers could do and that they were equal to the white soldiers.

Lincoln's Glorification

After Lincoln's presidency he became known as basically a savior of slaves. Though he passed the Emancipation Proclamation during his presidency, he was never really as concerned with slaves as he was with keeping the country together. In one of his earlier debates with Stephen Douglas, he said, “I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races.” Lincoln was never a true ally to slaves, and his glorification takes the focus of slavery away from slaves and more onto white figures who did the bare minimum to assist.

Colonel Robert Gould Shaw

Robert Gould Shaw was the commander of the 54th regiment, the first African American regiment. Shaw lead his men as a servant leader, trying to relate to their struggles. Shaw fought for his men, eventually giving them the chance to get action. During that battle, Shaw died alongside his men.

Call to arms in the South

This is a flyer that was produced in the South to gather more men to join the confederate army. After the Union had a large influx of men through the Emancipation Proclamation and other reasons, the South realized they would not claim victory unless they had more assets.

The Fugitive Slave Act

Historian Matthew Pinsker presents a quick rundown of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act

The Battle at Fort Wagner

The battle at Fort Wagner had much significance during the civil war. The Fort was heavily guarded by confederate soldiers and the geography of the land offered an extreme advantage to those defending. The first push to the fort was made by the 54th regiment of Boston. They did sadly perish, but word of the bravery of the black soldiers pulling of such a feat struck America with surprise.

The Emancipation Proclamation

President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of the civil war. The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free."

Slave POV

Slavery played a large part in the civil war, being one of the catalysts for the start of it. The life of a slave during the civil was was that of a slave in that time period normally except for a few things. Many slaves gained hope through talk of a "war to end slavery" which was not the case, but nevertheless motivated slaves to escape their slave owners to fight in the war. Free men in the North also joined.

Propaganda Against Slaves

During the Civil War, lots of the media was affected by its occurance. Political cartoons and essays circulated everywhere showcasing different viewpoints. This particular cartoon was created by John Tenniel (illustrator of the Alice in Wonderland series) and is called the Black Conscription. Though intended to be humorous, it affirmed the belief that African American men were to incompetent to be soldiers. The cartoon used racial prejudice and stereotyping as an appeal to its viewers and was very impactful. Propaganda like this affected slaves and African American men who wanted to fight in the war, and all black armies like the 54th Regiment weren't taken seriously because of it.

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African American Civil War Museum