Agency in the Pursuit of Freedom

Abstract

This dissertation examines how Black soldiers exercised agency during the Civil War in pursuit of a changing sense of freedom. It builds on the work of Civil War and African American historians from the past thirty years, reevaluating the role and impact of Black soldiers and their service within the broader context of the Civil War. While much existing research views these Black soldiers as part of a larger group, this study focuses on the lives and experiences of individual Black soldiers from Northeast Florida. By combining these overlooked stories with a less-studied theater of the conflict, a new perspective on the war emerges—one that underscores the influence Black men had in shaping major government and military policies and in transforming the Civil War into a war of emancipation. Well before the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, Black men and women in Northeast Florida escaped slavery in large numbers through self-emancipatory actions. On a nonlinear journey, these men and women compelled the U.S. military to become unwitting agents of freedom and quickly shifted the debate from emancipation to Black enlistment. While politicians and military officials argued, hundreds of Black men worked alongside abolitionist white officers to form some of the earliest Black regiments in the war. Their enlistment process offers a window into the unique history and environment that shaped their lives. After enlisting, they began a social transformation within the military landscape. Their ability to navigate change and continuity became evident in the success of two expeditions in early 1863, where local knowledge and a willingness to assert their agency led to triumph and set a precedent for future Black recruitment. However, these achievements provoked significant backlash from the enemy and within the U.S. military. Facing persistent racism and white supremacy on multiple fronts, these men continued to act and resist in accordance to a desire for freedom that now included equality and citizenship. That struggle extended beyond the war, with similar successes and setbacks experienced during their military service. Throughout it all, their exercise of agency as a form of resistance clearly demonstrates their active and multifaceted role in the Civil War.