Surviving the Civil War: The Fight for Freedom Behind Union Lines

We have to go back to the Civil War!

Last time, nearly a year ago for Ep 1, we looked at how slaves freed themselves by refusing to serve the Confederacy and running to Union lines. When hundreds of thousands did this, the federal government had no choice but to emancipate. What we didn't talk about is what happened to fleeing slaves within Union army camps across the South during the war. The struggle to survive and build a new, free life is the subject of Embattled Freedom: Journeys through the Civil War's Slave Refugee Camps by my guest Professor Amy Murrell Taylor.

Depending on when and where the Union army was, fleeing slaves might not instantly gain freedom or even be accepted into the camp. Then, inside the camp, the Union army only provided for their needs up to a point and controlled how they lived. On top of that, Union camps were dangerous because of the external Confederate enemy and the internal enemy of Northern racism. In the middle of all this, slavery's refugees managed to build homes, practice religion, and sustain themselves.

There is more danger and resilience to the Civil War than I realized last year, so we're heading behind Union lines.

Music Credit

PeaceLoveSoul by Jeris (c) copyright 2012 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/VJ_Memes/35859 Ft: KungFu (KungFuFrijters)