On Sept. 25, 1861, the U.S. Secretary of the Navy authorized the enlistment of blacks in the Union Navy during the Civil War. The enlistees, however, could achieve no rank higher than “boys.”
On this day in Black History
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On Sept. 25, 1861, the U.S. Secretary of the Navy authorized the enlistment of blacks in the Union Navy during the Civil War. The enlistees, however, could achieve no rank higher than “boys.”