Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. After the capture of Fort Sumter, there was a surge of enlistments from people of all ethnic backgrounds. However, African Americans were rejected because of what reason?
2. The First and Second Confiscation Acts freed slaves owned by supporters of the Confederacy. However, these freed slaves were not actively recruited for combat roles until President Lincoln issued which executive order?
3. On May 22, 1863, the Bureau of Colored Troops was established to oversee the recruitment of freed slaves in what would become known as the United States Colored Troops. African American enlistments surged, but they weren't the only minorities to serve in the USCT. Which other ethnic group enlisted in the USCT?
4. Before the creation of the United States Colored Troops, several states allowed African Americans to enlist, even though these regiments were not yet allowed to be mustered in to Federal service.
5. African American soldiers who were unfortunate enough to be captured faced much harsher treatment than white prisoners of war. During what battle did Confederate soldiers massacre African American soldiers who had surrendered?
6. Approximately 200,000 African Americans served in the US Army and Navy, making up 10% of the total Union forces. Out of these, 40,000 died during the war. What was the major cause of these deaths?
7. A total of 25 African American soldiers earned the Medal of Honor during the Civil War. An incredible 14 Medals of Honor were awarded in one battle during the Siege of Petersburg, Virginia. When was the final Medal of Honor for this action awarded?
8. While there were thousands of African American noncommissioned officers in the USCT, the officers were all white. What punishment did the Confederate Congress authorize in 1863 for captured white officers of the USCT?
9. At the Battle of the Crater near Petersburg, Virginia, an entire division of African American soldiers had been trained for weeks on how they were to assault the enemy line after the explosives were detonated. However, the day before the attack, General Meade changed the plan to have a white division make the attack. What was Meade's reason?
10. The soldiers in the USCT had proven African Americans could fight as well as Whites, and were a precursor to the famed "Buffalo Soldiers" during the Indian Wars. However, Army units were still segregated until 1948, when which president ordered the desegregation of the military?
Source: Author
AlexT781
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bloomsby before going online.
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