The Civil War for Tennessee’s African Americans

As soon as African Americans saw Union Army soldiers in Tennessee, they began emancipating themselves. They established what became known as contraband camps adjacent to Union Army camps. To the surprise of some, Tennessee was expressly omitted from the Emancipation Proclamation. This lecture will explore the Emancipation Proclamation and the role of African American Tennesseans in the war as young men joined the Union Army’s U.S. Colored Troops.