African Americans in the American Civil War

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/african-americans-in-the-american-civil-war

1. What is the war period?
2. What role did African American soldiers play in the Civil War?
3. Why were African Americans called "contraband" by Union General Benjamin Butler?

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the war period?April 12, 1861 – May 9, 1865
2. What role did African American soldiers play in the Civil War?They fought bravely in many battles, like Port Hudson, Milliken's Bend, and Fort Wagner, showing great courage and skill.
3. Why were African Americans called "contraband" by Union General Benjamin Butler?Escaped slaves offered their labor and were called "contraband" because they were considered property that could not be returned to the South.

Contraband of War: A term used during the Civil War for enslaved people who escaped to Union lines, considered enemy property.
Reconstruction Era: The period following the Civil War (1865-1877) focused on rebuilding the South and readmitting states to the Union.
13th Amendment: An amendment to the U.S. Constitution ratified in 1865 that officially abolished slavery and involuntary servitude.