Searching for Black Confederates

In this carefully researched book, Kevin M. Levin examines the origins and spread of the black Confederate myth, clarifying how misconceptions and misrepresentations have fueled claims that large numbers of African Americans fought willingly as soldiers in the Confederate army. He explores the actual roles played by African Americans during the Civil War, such as personal servants and laborers, and highlights how their legal status remained unchanged, despite their dangerous circumstances. Levin also discusses how memories of the war have often distorted historical facts, especially in the context of changing cultural attitudes from the 1970s onward.