About the book
More than 150 years after the end of the Civil War, scores of websites, articles, and organizations repeat claims that anywhere between 500 and 100,000 free and enslaved African Americans fought willingly as soldiers in the Confederate army. But as Kevin M. Levin argues in this carefully researched book, such claims would have shocked anyone who served in the army during the war itself. Levin explains that imprecise contemporary accounts, poorly understood primary-source material, and other misrepresentations helped fuel the rise of the black Confederate myth. Moreover, Levin shows that belief in the existence of black Confederate soldiers largely originated in the 1970s, a period that witnessed both a significant shift in how Americans remembered the Civil War and a rising backlash against African Americans’ gains in civil rights and other realms.
Levin also investigates the roles that African Americans actually performed in the Confederate army, including personal body servants and forced laborers. He demonstrates that regardless of the dangers these men faced in camp, on the march, and on the battlefield, their legal status remained unchanged. Even long after the guns fell silent, Confederate veterans and other writers remembered these men as former slaves and not as soldiers, an important reminder that how the war is remembered often runs counter to history.
Editions of Searching for Black Confederates
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781469653266
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469669410
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469653280
- EBook
- ISBN 9798890854612
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469653273
- PDF
- ISBN 9798890854605
Read an Excerpt
More than 150 years after the end of the Civil War, scores of websites, articles, and organizations repeat claims that anywhere between 500 and 100,000 free and enslaved African Americans fought willingly as soldiers in the Confederate army. But as Kevin M. Levin argues in this carefully researched book, such claims would have shocked anyone who served in the army during the war itself. Levin explains that imprecise contemporary accounts, poorly understood primary-source material, and other misrepresentations helped fuel the rise of the black Confederate myth. Moreover, Levin shows that belief in the existence of black Confederate soldiers largely originated in the 1970s, a period that witnessed both a significant shift in how Americans remembered the Civil War and a rising backlash against African Americans’ gains in civil rights and other realms.
Levin also investigates the roles that African Americans actually performed in the Confederate army, including personal body servants and forced laborers. He demonstrates that regardless of the dangers these men faced in camp, on the march, and on the battlefield, their legal status remained unchanged. Even long after the guns fell silent, Confederate veterans and other writers remembered these men as former slaves and not as soldiers, an important reminder that how the war is remembered often runs counter to history.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Searching for Black Confederates about?
More than 150 years after the end of the Civil War, scores of websites, articles, and organizations repeat claims that anywhere between 500 and 100,000 free and enslaved African Americans fought willingly as soldiers in the Confederate army. But as Kevin M. Levin argues in this carefully researched book, such claims would have shocked anyone who served in the army during the war itself. Levin explains that imprecise contemporary accounts, poorly understood primary-source material, and other misrepresentations helped fuel the rise of the black Confederate myth. Moreover, Levin shows that belief in the existence of black Confederate soldiers largely originated in the 1970s, a period that witnessed both a significant shift in how Americans remembered the Civil War and a rising backlash against African Americans’ gains in civil rights and other realms.
Levin also investigates the roles that African Americans actually performed in the Confederate army, including personal body servants and forced laborers. He demonstrates that regardless of the dangers these men faced in camp, on the march, and on the battlefield, their legal status remained unchanged. Even long after the guns fell silent, Confederate veterans and other writers remembered these men as former slaves and not as soldiers, an important reminder that how the war is remembered often runs counter to history.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Searching for Black Confederates?
History and Archaeology > History > History: specific events and topics > Social and cultural history
Where can I read a sample of Searching for Black Confederates?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781469653266
How long is Searching for Black Confederates and how many pages does it have?
Searching for Black Confederates has 240 page(s)
Is Searching for Black Confederates part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Civil War America
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Searching for Black Confederates?
Kevin M. Levin
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Searching for Black Confederates is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781469653266) and paperback(ISBN 9781469669410) and ebook(ISBN 9781469653280) and ebook(ISBN 9798890854612) and ebook(ISBN 9781469653273) and pdf(ISBN 9798890854605)
Where can I buy Searching for Black Confederates online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Searching for Black Confederates from below
Where can I buy Searching for Black Confederates?