1. African Americans in the Civil War

2. African Americans in the War
54th Massachusetts Regiment
First African American Union infantry
Fought at Ft. Wagner, SC
Lost half of their soldiers but heroism answered the question if they could make good soldiers
180,000 black soldiers enlisted = 10% of the entire army, 18,000 navy

3. 54th Massachusetts Regiment

4. Healthcare and Women in the Civil War

5. Problems of the War
Greatest killer in the war was not a bullet- disease & infection killed over 220,000! (140,000 died in action!)
Antiseptics (germ-killing drugs) & anesthetics (painkillers) were unknown. Doctors killed more than they helped!
Hospitals were filthy “slaughterhouses” where amputations were commonly done with dirty instruments & patients endured surgery by “biting the bullet”

6. Civil War Healthcare

7. Civil War Healthcare

8. Roles of Women in the War
1. Organized aid societies= raised funds & made bandages & clothes for soldiers.
Clara Barton- Nursed wounded, marked graves & created the American Red Cross after the war
Some women went to the front with husbands to cook & care for them- over 600 women actually fought (until they were discovered)
Elizabeth Blackwell- 1st woman doctor who organized the Soldier’s Aid Society during the war.

9. Heroines of the Civil War
Clara Barton Elizabeth Blackwell

10. Women on the Homefront
Those left behind had to take on the responsibilities of the men at war.
Women ran plantations, farmed, & worked in factories. Some even spied on the opposing armies!
Belle Boyd
Confederate Spy

11. Prisoners of War Confederate Prisons Andersonville, GA
Exposure, overcrowding, lack of food, and disease killed more than 100 men daily
13,000 out of 45,000 died
Commander Henry Wirz, executed for war crimes at Andersonville