The Emancipation and Diverse Roles in the Civil War
The Emancipation Proclamation, issued on January 1, 1863, marked a turning point by freeing slaves in Confederate states, though not in border states loyal to the Union.
Vocabulary: The 54th Massachusetts Regiment was an all-black unit led by white Captain Robert Shaw, whose story was later depicted in the film "Glory."
Highlight: Clara Barton, a notable Civil War nurse, went on to establish the American Red Cross.
Example: More than 200,000 Black soldiers served in the Union Army, though in segregated units, demonstrating their significant contribution to the war effort.
The war concluded on April 9, 1865, but joy turned to tragedy when President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer, on April 14, 1865, while attending a play.