Revolution for black liberation: black soldiers in the US Civil War

Submitted by Matthew on 16 October, 2013 - 3:01
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This special publication for Black History Month 2013 (republished January 2014) is adapted from a presentation given at Ideas for Freedom 2013.

To download the PDF, click here.

"Many people have an idea that slavery in the United States was abolished through the benevolence of white 'liberals' such as Abraham Lincoln - but that popular racism made white supremacy afterwards inevitable. The real history is different...

"As the conflict unfolded, the logic of the struggle pushed the issue of slavery, and beyond that the rights of black Americans, to the fore. The war and its aftermath have justly been called the Second American Revolution. Although this revolution for freedom and equality was in large part defeated, it is an inspiring story, and rich in lessons...

"The story of black soldiers in the American Civil War, and the revolution they began, is a story of how capitalism both makes and betrays the promise of freedom. To fully pay homage to these heroes will take a Third American Revolution to open the way to what they wanted: a society remade without exploitation or oppression."

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