Bluejackets and Contrabands: African Americans and the Union Navy

Bluejackets and Contrabands: African Americans and the Union Navy

by Barbara Brooks Tomblin
Bluejackets and Contrabands: African Americans and the Union Navy

Bluejackets and Contrabands: African Americans and the Union Navy

by Barbara Brooks Tomblin

Paperback

$30.00 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Qualifies for Free Shipping
    Usually ships within 6 days
  • PICK UP IN STORE
    Check Availability at Nearby Stores

Related collections and offers


Overview

One of the lesser-known stories of the Civil War is the role played by escaped slaves in the Union blockade along the Atlantic coast. From the beginning of the war, many African American refugees sought avenues of escape to the North. Due to their sheer numbers, those who reached Union forces presented a problem for the military. Fortunately, the First Confiscation Act of 1861 permitted the seizure of property used in support of the South's war effort, including slaves. Eventually regarded as contraband of war, the runaways became known as contrabands. In Bluejackets and Contrabands, Barbara Brooks Tomblin examines the relationship between the Union Navy and the contrabands. The navy established colonies for the former slaves, and, in return, some contrabands served as crewmen on navy ships and gunboats and as river pilots, spies, and guides. Tomblin presents a rare picture of the contrabands and casts light on the vital contributions of African Americans to the Union Navy and the Union cause.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780813186870
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Publication date: 04/12/2022
Pages: 398
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.12(d)
Age Range: 18 Years

About the Author

Barbara Brooks Tomblin taught military history at Rutgers University and is the author of several articles and books.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Union Navy Policy toward Contrabands
3. Going to Freedom
4. Contraband Camps
5. Informants
6. Contributing to Victory
7. Contraband Pilots
8. Contraband Sailors
9. Joint Army-Navy Operations
10. The Final Months

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews