The Negro In The Civil War

“The Civil War was a revolution in many ways,” writes Benjamin Quarles in this renowned work. “But on one point there is common agreement: without slavery there would have been no resort to arms. Hence the slave was the key factor in the war. But the Negro’s tale was not merely a passive one; he did not tarry in the wings, hands folded. He was an active member of the cast, prominent in the dramatis personae. To him freedom was a two-way street; indeed he gave prior to receiving.”

Quarles w…