During the American Civil War (April 1861 - April 1865) it is estimated that over 186,000 African American soldiers served in the Union Army while some 17,000 helped to crew the warships of the Union Navy. Many of these men were freeborn residents of northern states; farmers, tradesmen, and prosperous businessmen. Others were former slaves who had fled southern states along the Underground Railroad or had been liberated by advancing Union forces.   Northern states began enlisting African American troops into segregated volunteer regiments in early 1862 but it was not until after September 1862 with the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation that enlistment into the regular army began.   Even after African American soldiers began to be enlisted they were to subjected to racist and discriminatory attitudes and practices: they were paid less than their white counterparts, often denied promotion to high rank and withheld from frontline service. Eventually, Black units had their pay increased to the level of white units but only after many African American regiments refused to accept any pay at all unless it was equal to that of the rest of the army. When finally allowed into combat these same men quickly proved their mettle and whether in the victory of defeat displayed a level of courage and devotion to duty that was second to none. During the American Civil War twenty-five Union soldiers and sailors of African descent would receive the Medal of Honor.  All of the photographs in this exhibit are from the Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Photographs and the Gladstone Collection of African American Photographs both of which are housed in the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. The photographs depict just a few of these men and although in many cases their names have been forgotten to history their portraits offer a window into this seminal period of this country’s history. In their faces, one can see something of the pride, determination, and sense of destiny that filled them with a profound resolve. They knew that they were not simply engaged in a war between the states, but were fighting for their rightful place in the fabric of this nation and for the freedom of an entire people.