not many people know that Native Americans participated in the
Civil War they actually fought on both sides today on the ancestral
findings podcast we'll talk about why they fought and what role they played
you don't often hear about it but Native Americans participated in the Civil War as both Union and
Confederate soldiers why would Native Americans be invested in a domestic dispute within the
United States after all the battles between Native Americans and American settlers over the
previous two centuries it wouldn't seem the two groups would have any common ground in the Civil
War but they did and twenty eight thousand six hundred and ninety-three Native Americans joined
up his soldiers and fought alongside those whom they had previously fought against in other wars
here's the Forgotten history of the involvement of Native Americans in the Civil War including
why they fought and what roles they played Native Americans knew the outcome of the Civil War would
affect both the land that was available to them as well as their economic prosperity in this new
world dominated by the descendants of European settlers these things alone gave them incentive
to fight they would be affected by the outcome of the war either way so fighting for the side they
thought most likely to win made sense this way they had a hand in influencing the outcome of the
war in their favor if they fought for the winning side there was a strong chance of them keeping
access to their ancestral lands as well as their freedom and cultural traditions if they fought
on the losing side they could lose all of those things while the majority of Native Americans
fought for the Union particularly the Cherokees who had been badly treated by the Southerners some
tribes fought for the Confederacy this was because they were slaveholders the creeks and Choctaw in
particular were large slave owners in the south and they were invested in a southern victory in
order to preserve the economic prosperity slave ownership brought them just like within the United
States itself which found neighbors and family members fighting on opposite sides of the war
the same was true of Native American tribes it was a particular issue with the Cherokee who had
a many Civil War amongst themselves in areas where northern and southern states bordered each other a
minority of Cherokee did fight for the Confederacy in defiance of the directors of their tribal
leader and were granted pay food clothing in other rations and provisions other tribes experience
this to a lesser degree all were reunited after the war the US government and the Confederate
government both welcomed Native American soldiers they fought bravely and passionately for their
sides and were instrumental in achieving victories in certain key battles some of the battles where
the presence of Native American soldiers influence the outcome include peerage the Second Battle of
Manassas Antietam Spotsylvania Petersburg Native Americans in the East were a part of the Civil
War conflict so it only made sense for them to participate the outcome would influence
their lives and livelihoods unlike the natives out west where the US was only just beginning
to reach and where there were no states they put their lives and tribes on the line to make
sure the side that would offer them the most one their presence was instrumental in winning many
key battles and the US government was glad for their participation it is a forgotten history
but an important one that should be preserved for future generations so they know about the
important contributions of the Eastern tribes in the outcome for both sides of the Civil War
identifying your family photographs starts with identifying what type they are the type
of photograph can reveal the era in which it was taken in the next ancestral findings podcast I'll
talk about when you know the era it is easier to ID the people be sure to check out ancestral
findings calm there you can also download older podcast messages to hear again at your convenience
that's ancestral findings dot-com see you next time here on the ancestral findings podcast