By the end of the Civil War, nearly one out of every four sailors in the Union Navy was Black. Out of 118,044 Union naval personnel, 29,511 were African American, serving in various roles aboard ships. Unlike the Union Army, the Navy was integrated from the outset of the war.
At least four Black sailors received the Congressional Medal of Honor for their extraordinary bravery during combat. These men not only fought for the Union but also for the freedom and dignity of all African Americans, marking a significant chapter in U.S. military history.
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