Colored Troops of the Civil War Stories

The documentary, Colored Troops of the Civil War | Courage. Determination. Survival.  highlights the extraordinary contributions of the formerly enslaved Black soldiers who risked their lives to enlist in the Union Army during the Civil War. They demonstrated incredible dedication and loyalty to fight for and to become part of a nation that they could call their own. Individual stories of courage, their impact, and of the origin of the US Colored Troops (USCT) and their impressive wartime contributions, have not been told from a perspective that valued their valor, in addition to the success that their participation provided in changing the course of the Civil War, which divided the nation over slavery. The USCT story is very complex. Initially the rationale behind folding the formerly enslaved into the ranks as soldiers was multifaceted. In an effort to obtain victory, the Union Army needed to increase troop numbers and the enslaved could offer an enormous boost to their numbers. Both free and formerly enslaved Blacks stepped up to the challenge and risked their lives for the opportunity to be emancipated. Untold stories of heroics and determination, courage, loyalty and a fierce desire to survive, despite  the incredible odds and adversity that was thrust against the USCTs only reinforces the need for the legacy that they left behind to be shared and their stories to be told.