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Many people believe that only white, naturally-born American men -and a few black slaves- were the only participants in the American Civil War. Though the majority of those who fought in the Civil War were of European (primarily British) heritage, various ethnic groups played prominent roles in the history of this conflict. Their reasons for joining in the fight were as varied as their cultural backgrounds.

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What was the U.S. ethnic composition in 1860, at the start of the Civil War?
Of the 31,443,321 population, approximately...
85% were "White"
14% were "Black"
.1% were "American Indian, Eskimo and Aleut"
.1% were "Asian and Pacific Islander"
.5% were "Hispanic"

Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census
https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0029/tab08.html
[Image: motherjones.com/files/brown-bros.jpg]

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* 1792 banned black men from bearing arms or enlisting in army (even though they fought in the Revolution and War of 1812)
* Need for soldiers high due to more slaves becoming free, less white men enlisting over time, and more positions than ever in the army needing to be filled
* 1862- the Confiscation and Militia Act passed and enforced- slaves of enlisted men freed
* A couple of days later, slavery was abolished and the Emancipation Proclamation followed
* Black leader Frederick Douglass advocated for these regiments
* 1863 Bureau of Colored Troops established
* Newly allowed black regiments empowered North, making up 10% of the Union army- 40,000 black soldiers died 3/4 from infection and/or disease
* Black men and women who were not/ weren't allowed in the army helped by taking on jobs such as nurses, spies, guards, steamboat pilots, carpenters, etc.
*16 black soldiers awarded medals of honor
* Black soldiers were actually paid less than white ones because of "clothing deductions" (that whites didn't have to pay)- once this was realized by congress, they passed a law in 1864 to give them equal pay, good medical care and the same rations as whites
* Black POWs were treated worse than white captives, and officers of black regiments would sometimes mistreat soldiers
* General Order 233 issued by Lincoln to counterattack mistreatment of black POWs by confederates
*1863 the confederate congress actually abolished maltreatment of black captives by officers

Freeman, Elsie, Wynell Burroughs Schamel, and Jean West. "The Fight for Equal Rights: A Recruiting Poster for Black Soldiers in the Civil War." Social Education 56, 2 (February 1992):

https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/blacks-civil-war

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* More than 28,000 Native American people fought in the U.S. Civil War. Many acted as scouts and guides or pledged loyalty to one side or the other in hopes of regaining their lost lands.
* Southern tribes, like the Creek, Choctaw and Chickasaw, owned slaves, and primarily joined the Confederates to keep their slaves. (The Choctaw owned 6,000 slaves.)
* Some Native American tribes joined the South because they didn't trust the US government that had forced them off of their ancestral lands. Tribes were offered incentives by the Confederates, such as their own sovereign state.
* Many Northern tribes chose to fight alongside the Union in order to gain favor with the US government and earn respect.
* Just like Confederate and Union counterparts, there were also cases of division, even civil war, within tribes.
* The impact of the Civil War on Native Americans was more destructive than helpful, with great loss of life and no material gains for tribes fighting on either side of the war.

Clay, Emily. "Native Americans and the Civil War". History in an Hour. June 9, 2013.
http://www.historyinanhour.com/2013/06/09/native-americans-and-the-civil-war/

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* Over 50,000 Britain citizens participated in the Civil War.
* The war proved to boost the British economy. At the start of the war, Britain had a sluggish economy. But within 2 years, they were exporting artillery, ammunition, uniforms, machines and other military equipment to supply both the North and the South.
* The British had also heavily invested in bonds that funded both the Confederate and the Union governments.

Gambino, Megan. "The Unknown Contributions of Brits in the American Civil War". Smithsonian.com, December 9, 2011.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-unknown-contributions-of-brits-in-the-american-civil-war-2478471/

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* More than 20,000 fought in the Civil War and for many various reasons.
* Many Hispanics in the Southeast region of the U.S. were already intrinsically embedded in the regions in which they lived and supported the Confederates. As slave owners and large plantation holders, these Hispanics fought to preserve their way of life.
* Hispanics who lived in Northern states supported the Union and joined the fighting in hopes of becoming accepted as "Americans" and winning their citizenship.
* Most Hispanic participants in the war came from the Southwestern states of the U.S. People in this region were deeply divided as to which side to support and based their decisions on various political and economic reasons. Confederate sympathizers included large land holders, farmers and ranchers who saw economic advantages in supporting the South (Texas). There were also those who resented the U.S. government for the outcome of the Mexican War. On the other hand, there were many Hispanics who opposed slavery and supported the North (California & Oregon).

"Hispanics and the Civil War: From Battlefield to Home Front". National Park Service and Eastern National.
https://www.nps.gov/articles/hispanics-and-the-civil-war.htm

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* Just as the British government officially declared "neutrality" in the U.S. Civil War, the French government also refused to become officially involved.
* The French were already involved in the Mexican Civil War and were warned by the U.S. to not support the Confederacy.
* However, there were French who sided with the South, possibly because they saw the Union as a threat to their attempts to re-capture lands on the continent, or because they were so heavily dependent on cotton imports from the Southern states and wanted to end the blockade on exports to France.
* Nonetheless, both the Union and Confederate armies had French participants. Some were immigrants and others were sympathizers from France. What was most notable about the French were the flashy, colorful uniforms that they wore.
* There were more French generals on the Confederate side.

"French Americans in the Civil War." The Civil War Society's "Encyclopedia of the Civil War."
https://www.civilwarhome.com/french.html

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* For many Jews, the question of slavery was a morality issue.
* Most had not taken sides before the war, but split sides on loyalty after the war started. Jews in the North supported the Union, and in the South, the Confederacy.
* Jews on the side of abolitionists felt that it was a moral obligation to fight against oppression and slavery.
* In the South, there were Jews that chose to believe that the Bible did not condemn slavery as sinful.
* Estimated participation: 8,400 Jews fought with the South, and 10,000 Jews fought with the North.
Finkelstein, Norman H. "Jews in the Civil War: Addressing the Moral Question of Slavery." The JPS Guide to American Jewish History. Jewish Publication Society. (February 12, 2007)
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/jews-in-the-civil-war/

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* Made up America's largest immigrant group at the time
* Many settled in Boston and NY
* Most were illegal immigrants (were not citizens of America yet) when they joined the American Civil War.
* Hoped that joining the Union army would show loyalty and patriotism, and there would then be less Irish discrimination (they were distrusted by Americans bc Catholicism and refused them jobs)
* 150,000 Irishmen joined the Union army, there were many Irish casualties throughout the war
* The Irish Brigade, which was completely made up of Irish people, were known for their fighting vigor
* The Union wished to win Irish support for their cause, though the Irish could sympathize with the south's views on rebellion from an oppressive govt., they also disliked the idea of blacks taking potential jobs
* The Union gave the Irish bonuses and extra rations

[Picture below: Thomas Meagher, holding the flag of his country in fabled Irish brigade]

https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/the-irish-brigade
https://www.civilwarhome.com/irish.html

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Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies

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* Most served in the Union army and were extremely anti-slavery
* 55,000 Scandinavians reportedly lived in the North
* John Ericsson (Swedish) invented the propeller, and built the Union the Monitor (essentially a battleship)

https://www.civilwarhome.com/scandinavian.html

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* 11,000 Italian immigrants enlisted
* Most come from poverty and war-torn areas, seeking freedom from Roman Catholicism- many dealt with poverty in America too
* NY/the North was often where they'd immigrate
* Francesco Secchi de Casale- political activist for Italians
* Due to their ingrained beliefs of freedom, they were passionate soldiers
* Garibaldi Guard- Italian infantry of NY

“Three thousand copies aren’t enough to put bread on the table. On the other hand, our competitors fold almost immediately. They write for those who are determined to go back to Italy, while we try to inform those who want to—or who have no choice but to—stay in this country. And thanks to our school, we get the children off the streets. We teach English reading and spelling, grammar, Italian, history, geography, and addition and subtraction, just like Public Schools during the day....." - Francesco Secchi de Casale

The Civil War Society's "Encyclopedia of the Civil War."
https://www.civilwarhome.com/italian.html

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* Immigration from Germany was large over the course of the war, though Germans had already built up a large population in the U.S. before the war (doubled 1850-60- mil or more just before Civil War)
* Many immediately enrolled in North and South (needed cash inflow)
* 177,000 were in the Union, 67 gaining medals of honor after the war
* The Union won their favor by comparing their situation of aristocracy at home to slavery
* Many to protested against slavery and crashed slave auctions (St. Louis courthouse incident)
* Many enrolled already had military experience

http://www.revisionist.net/hysteria/civil-war.html
https://www.civilwarhome.com/german.html

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* Ethnic groups would sometimes be separated into brigades, hence Irish brigade, Italian Infantry, etc.
* America has always been a country of mixed cultures- it's a part of America's character
* Where some families came from
* Gives us insight on how different Americans may have thought on both sides of the war