Make Way for Liberty

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Wisconsin African Americans in the Civil War

Jeff Kannel

A deeply researched account revealing the overlooked stories of African American men who fought for the Union on behalf of Wisconsin.

320 pages, 6 x 9, 42 b&w photos
Paperback: $24.95 | ISBN: 978-0-87020-946-8
Ebook: $15.99 | ISBN: 978-0-87020-947-5
Publication Date: 10/20/2020

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Description

Hundreds of African American soldiers and regimental employees represented Wisconsin in the Civil War, and many of them lived in the state before or after the conflict. And yet, if these individuals are mentioned at all in histories of the state, it is with a sentence or two about their small numbers, or the belief that they all were from slaveholding states and served as substitutes for Wisconsin draftees. In Make Way for Liberty, author and historian sets the record straight by sharing the stories of this small but mighty group of Black Americans who fought for the Union and served their country with honor and courage.

While the number of African American soldiers was small relative to the total number of Badgers who served in the Civil War, they constituted a significant number in at least five regiments of the United States Colored Infantry and several other companies. Make Way for Liberty brings clarity to the questions of how many African Americans represented Wisconsin during the conflict, who among them lived in the state before and after the war, and what their broader impact was on their communities. The lives these Black soldiers before and after the war in rural communities, small towns, and cities form an enlightening story of acceptance and respect for their service but rejection and discrimination based on their race.

Author Bio

Jeff Kannel has been a volunteer and tour guide at the Civil War Museum in Kenosha, Wisconsin, since 2012 and speaks all across the state about the role of Wisconsin African American soldiers and employees during the Civil War. He lives in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

Jeff Kannel illuminates an often overlooked yet very important chapter in Wisconsin’s Civil War history. Despite many obstacles, the people in this book did their full duty for Wisconsin and the Union in America’s defining conflict. It is a long-overdue recognition.