African American Civil War Memorial

By supporting the Union, slaves and free blacks, living in the North and South, courageously advanced the cause of freedom for more than four million enslaved people. The African-American Civil War Memorial commemorates the military service of hundreds of thousands of Civil War era African-American soldiers and sailors. Etched into stainless steel panels of the memorial are names identifying 209,145 United States Colored Troops (USCT) who responded to the Union's call to arms. Their successes and frustrations were closely intertwined with the social changes, political turmoil and economic fluctuations that accompanied the Civil War.