The Right to Fight: Black Soldiers in the Civil War

Both the Confederacy and the Union had to resort to a draft when the influx of volunteer soldiers decreased significantly due to the amount of bloodshed. Although white Americans were no longer as eager to fight, black Americans were eager to join the Union in hopes that the enslaved blacks in the South would also be able to be liberated. In 1863, Lincoln made it legal for blacks to join the Union but black soldiers were earning less then their white counterparts and concerned about leaving their families destitute. Despite this, African Americans were willing to fight and showed tremendous patriotism and bravery. Serving in the military provided many with a sense of pride and accomplishment. Men transformed from disheveled slaves into finely dressed soldiers who were able to fight against white prejudice. Any doubts regarding Black courage was dismissed as they fought bravely and soon gained the respect of the whole Union army. The 54^th Massachusetts Colored Regiment originally assigned blacks to manual labor rather than fighting but refused to pay the black soldiers less than the white soldiers. It wasn’t until James Henry Gooding personal wrote a letter to President Lincoln that the government reversed their decision and starting paying all soldiers equally in 1864. The black Union soldiers were welcomed as heroes by former slaves in the failing Confederacy. Becoming a member of the Union army also provided black soldiers with strength and discipline which proved helpful in balancing their former feelings of degradation and dependency that life as a slave offered. Black soldiers made up the majority of the Union army after 1865 and they took it upon themselves to lead the struggle for equality. Black veterans also believed that along with their freedom they should be granted the opportunity to vote as well as obtain civil rights. Many black soldiers learned to read and write in the army and being eager to prove that they could be great citizens as well as soldiers, later became teachers and politicians.      

Why would free blacks in the North be willing to join the Union if it meant possibly leaving their families with destitute?

What was the purpose of only allowing black soldiers to perform manual labor rather than fighting?