African American Civil War Memorial and Museum

"Without the military help of the black freedmen, the war against the south could not have been won." President Abraham Lincoln, 1865.

The Emancipation Proclamation promised African-Americans freedom but in order to obtain their freedom they would need to help the Union win the war over the Confederacy. On May 22, 1863, the Bureau of US Colored Troops (USCT) was created to recruit, train, and deploy African American soldiers.

The African American Civil War memorial is a moving testament of the courage of African American Troops during the Civil War. The statue, Spirit of Freedom shows black soldiers in uniform and one single sailor. Around the sculpture is the Wall of Honor. This wall gives a listing of 209,145 names from the USCT who served our country during the Civil War.

The permanent exhibition of the museum is “Slavery to Freedom: Civil War to Civil Rights.” This exhibit shows the great struggle for freedom in the United States during that era. The museum has on display a bill of sale for an enslaved girl who sold for $600, it is an example of how slavery was such an economic force that could not have ended without the war.

By visiting the African American Civil War Memorial and Museum, one is able to learn a vitial segment of American history.

The African American Civil War Memorial and Museum is located on 1200 U Street, accessible by the green line.

-OI