The Negro's Civil War

by James M. McPherson

In this classic study, Pulitzer Prize-winning author James M. McPherson deftly narrates the experience of blacks--former slaves and soldiers, preachers, visionaries, doctors, intellectuals, and common people--during the Civil War. Drawing on contemporary journalism, speeches, books, and letters, he presents an eclectic chronicle of their fears and hopes as well as their essential contributions to their own freedom. Through the words of these extraordinary participants, both Northern and Southern, McPherson captures African-American responses to emancipation, the shifting attitudes toward Lincoln and the life of black soldiers in the Union army. Above all, we are allowed to witness the dreams of a disenfranchised people eager to embrace the rights and the equality offered to them, finally, as citizens.

Genres: History, Civil War, Nonfiction, American Civil War, African American, War, American History

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

James M. McPherson, Ph.D. (Johns Hopkins University, 1963; B.A., Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, Minnesota), 1958) is an American Civil War historian, and the George Henry Davis '86 Professor Emeritus of United States History at Princeton University. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Battle Cry of Freedom, his most famous book. He was the president of the American Historical Association in 2003, and is a member of the editorial board of Encyclopædia Britannica.

Reviews

[Pete Skillman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book consists almost totally of primary sources with some commentary stringing them together. I found it difficult to engage with while I was reading because it is not laid out in a narrative form, rather the source material is grouped by subject matter, and not necessarily laid-out in chronological order. I imagine that this will make it an *excellent* reference volume, even if the "story" is hard to follow.

[Leah Spinelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

The content of this book is really worth 5 stars for me. This paints an extremely different picture from what I remember being taught in history classes throughout grade school and college. Definitely eye opening.

The only reason I took a star away is for the format of the book itself. It could have done with some more distinct page breaks to help section out different excerpts among some other things that may have made it a little easier to go through.

This book reads more like a textbook and less like an average book you may pick up, so it was difficult to switch my mind to that style of reading. A majority of it is direct excerpts from speeches/articles/letters, with minimal narrative passages.

[Stephen Morrissey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Civil War is very much the inflection point of American history: when more Americans decided that they wanted to live up to the ideals of the Declaration of Independence, rather than down to the designs and demagogues of the South. The Americans who decided that war were not just white, but also black, men and women who cast off the shackles of slavery in the South and took up arms in the North in order to win a war for union and (eventually) emancipation.

James McPherson's "The Negro's Civil War" is a unique way of shedding light on black contributions to the Civil War. Interspersed with some background narration, the book turns the reader towards the writings of African-Americans (and witnesses of African-American deeds) to show that the freedmen of the North and the slaves of the South were not passive recipients, but active agents of their freedom.

This is a worthy celebration of how black men and women fought for, died for, and upheld the American republic.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned quite a bit of new info from this. It's done in a style of having lots of excerpts from mostly harder to find texts from the period, with the author's thoughts as well. I really enjoyed this style. I'd like to read follow-ups to this book done in the same style, maybe on the Harlam [sp] renaissance, civil rights, black panthers/black power, and black lives matter. This is an important book for sure and one everyone should read, imo.

[D. Neuser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although James McPherson's name is on the cover, his role here is more that of a curator: the actual content of this book consists largely of page after page of primary documents, tied together by McPherson's commentary.

These are amazing documents. The voices of black Americans speak for themselves. You cannot begin to know the Civil War without hearing these voices. Nobody with an interest in US history should be without this.

[Reading Rounds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend this book for anyone looking to understand how Black Americans thought, felt and experienced the Civil War. The author uses their words, which give the book a texture and veracity that most history texts lack. He also discusses several battles where Black soldiers were essential that I did not know about.

[James Bechtel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published in 1965.

[Pan Ellington · Rating 4 out of 5]

comprised mainly of primary source material; personal narratives, military reports, newspaper articles. rich. fascinating.

[Timothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly tepid review of African American thoughts and actions during the Civil War. Chronological and sparsely analytical. Useful for experts and students of the Civil War.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book about an important but overlooked group of the civil war.

[Ricki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned a lot about the Civil War from this book, but felt it had too many passages from primary sources and not enough synthesis of the works quoted.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've walked many Civil War battlefields in the east and the west... read numerous histories. I'm ashamed of my ignorance of the negro's role in this war. "The Negro's Civil War" has begun to fill a huge void in my understanding.

[Donna Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am making a note here that I have decided to read it again. There is no way to add both "read" and "currently reading", and I refuse to destroy my earlier stellar rating of this under-read book, so I am putting it here for lack of anywhere better. I'll change my note when I have finished re-reading.

There is no fat in this book. I can't highlight it because I would end up highlighting the entire volume.

It is worthwhile to note that though other resources are available now, this book was written during the Civil Rights battles and at the centennial of the Union victory of the Civil War. At the time, it was the only resource of its kind. McPherson's was the only voice published to tell the literate world that the Union victory that liberated African-Americans in the South once and for all was in large measure due to the efforts of Black folks, both free Blacks in the North, and the former slaves and Northern Blacks who fought in the Civil War.

Other historians, including those who wrote the history book I was supposed to be using when I taught this subject, made African-Americans appear to be passive recipients of justice doled out grandly by the beneficent hands of enlightened Caucasians. It wasn't that way, and McPherson is the first widely published historian to say so.

The second edition came out in 1990, when the movie Glory made a wider contemporary audience aware of the role Black troops played at Fort Wagner and elsewhere.

[Deborah Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very informative about the role blacks played during the civil war. I was always under the opinion, because of the myths I had been taught growing up, that only a hand full of black had the courage, strength and intelligence to fight for their freedom. This book opened new doors for me and I wish there where more books about the black experience during the civil war other than slave narratives. Don't get me wrong they have their place too but lets make history a little more well rounded. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in history or just life in general.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book spoke for itself. McPherson did very little commentating, and instead used quotes from soldiers, activists, and African American newspapers to tell the story of how the African American community participated in the Civil War. Really great read.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book in that it was more compilation than writing. McPherson really just links extracts from many different historical sources with his words. It was interesting to see how much dissension there was in Black communities during Civil War, including those against Lincoln as too moderate.

[Sheila Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most books about the Civil War tend to focus on the white man's perspective. James McPherson does a great job of telling the story from the eyes of African-Americans.