black people serving in the navy in the civil war

through the Pacific slave trade, adoption by Americans, independent immigration or the influence of missionaries.Īuthor Ruthanne Lum McCunn, an expert on Chinese-American history, says three Chinese-Americans rose to the rank of corporal in all-white units. Only one Chinese-American soldier was actually born on American soil.

Because of their previous experiences at sea, many of them served in the U.S. The rebels resisted military efforts by the North to bring them back into the union, sparking four years of war that left more than 600,000 people dead.Įven though there were only about 200 Chinese-Americans living in the eastern United States at the time, 58 of them fought in the Civil War. Listen to the full interview with Ruthanne Lum McCunn Fearing the eventual abolition of slavery, eleven southern states bolted from the union, setting up the pro-slavery Confederate States of America.

It began in 1861 after the election of an anti-slavery president, Abraham Lincoln. The participation of Asians, and in particular Chinese Americans, comes into focus this month as the United States marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the war. Many people would be surprised to know that there were some Asian faces in theĬrowds of white and black soldiers serving in the American Civil War.

Black people serving in the navy in the civil war