Power and horse power, which sounds kind of weird but was the best way i could come up with two separate these topics out. You are going to hear three really excellent talks on a theme tonight. Each speaker is going to speak for about 15 minutes. So, fairly short presentations. That is going to leave us plenty of time for questions and discussion at the end. You can type your questions into the question and answer box anytime throughout the evening. And we will respond to those later, after all three talks have taken place. So, we are looking forward to hearing your questions and feedback very much, that is the excitement for us going into this evening. Our first speaker tonight is going to be dr. Caroline new hall, she is very well known around here because she works as the post doctoral fellow at the Virginia Center for civil war studies here at Virginia Tech, before that she got her ph. D. , she is working on a book about black p. O. W. Experiences in the confederacy, she gave a terrific talk on that topic soon after she arrived in blacksburg. Which now available at the youtube channel. And is also on the cspan website that was broadcast on cspan 3 shortly after she delivered it. Tonight, her on topic is interest convergence in the recruiting a black soldiers. Thank, you doctor. Thank you so much, paul, i want to say thank you so much to leland, caroline, and for the continuing professional education center. Thank you so much, i will jump right into it, do not have too much time, cutting into the other panelists. My Research Really centers on how illegal conditions created warfare. Created circumstances which may not have been previously available to them. Primarily through looking at black tune the soldiers who were captured by the confederacy. So i am looking at the interest convergence and how recruitment around black americans, particularly in the south, particularly in the south led to this initially positive results, such as emancipation. But, had some significant limitations when it came to achieving the quality. But, when im going to talk about this center on how black americans were able to find Common Ground with the United States. And took advantage that, made the United States made them part way in the massive civil rights game. The confederacy failed to do this. If the confederacy had made efforts to the degree that the United States have, it may have been a different story. It may have centered on how black americans in the south, especially, formerly enslaved people managed to use the war to affect their freedom, essentially. So, i will share my screen now. Apologies for this whole set up. There we go. Interest convergence, the u. S. Effort to recruit black soldiers. I want to open up on whats interest convergent rains. Interest convergence is a particular topic that comes through in Critical Race Theory, which has come out of this idea of evil royalism, evil scholars, historians, numerous people have undertaken this work led by professor derek bell in trying to understand how racism and the law coincide in the United States. And, the way in which the law can achieve certain things, but also runs into limitations when it comes to affecting the quality. And, achieving ideals versus what happens in reality. So, when im talking about interest convergence, im using it in a specific context that may not be as familiar to people who might know about interest convergence and Critical Race Theory. Essentially, the idea behind interest convergence is that there are times where civil rights gains for communities of color coincide with the dictates of white self interest. Meaning that the ruling class, the ruling powers, those who passed laws, or a part of the legislature, the executive which historically in the United States has been predominantly white people. How people of color have managed to intersect with the interests of the ruling class, essentially, to make some gains. But, also, how those gains have particular limitations. And, they weigh in which professor bell has talked about this, and many other scholars as well, is looking forward. They are looking to the future of the law. And how we can apply quality more effectively, and attract a majority interest. Making interest convergence not a dual application, where it starts with a positive, and ends with limitations that hinder civil rights gains. Created by peo ple. Setting a path for understanding that the law has ideals. Those ideals have to be made real by people. The laws created by people, its enforced by people, it is violated by people. So, humans make law, these are ways in which we can make the law more equitable. It is a very general overview of Critical Race Theory and interest convergence. The way im going to look at it, looking backwards. Using references as professor bell has used with brown versus board of education for example. And bring it back to the 19th century. Read it into the past and understand not just how white interests, particularly surrounding the emancipation proclamation a war measure, all black americans also managed to affect their own self interests. Even though these are limited gains, the actions that black americans were able to undertake in order to create a space for themselves as citizens through the civil war. How were created these conditions that black americans could take advantage of. To work on emancipation. And then towards equality. Without further ado, i will jump into this discussion of the emancipation proclamation. Basically, this is where it starts. Were looking at the interest convergence between the United States as a political entity and black americans as a group and individuals. The emancipation proclamation the such a fascinating cage. I go on for hours about it. It has these achievements where president lincoln is putting his finger on the part pulse of the war. What is acceptable. What he can do to make the war effort to preserve the union successfully. That is always his main consideration. So, the emancipation proclamation has a significant limitations as does the military the militia acts, the confiscation acts of 1862 and 1861. The steps are taken halting late enabling black americans to join the union army. Versus laborers, and then our soldiers. President lincolns looking toward the entire war effort. For his idea of interest convergence, hes trying to keep the border states, slave state within the union still within the union. Without losing them to the confederacy. Yes to walk a fine line when it comes to slavery. For the most, parties interested in the preservation of the union. Emancipation becomes a war strategy and goal once becomes apparent that that is a way of hindering the confederacy from within. Confederacy had long the slave states within the south had long been concerned with the idea of the internal enemy that are black americans. They want emancipation, they want equality. They might resort to violence in order to achieve that. It is the ruling logic behind these slave codes and maintaining control, maintaining superiority and continuing their interests. It is when the interests of black americans, particularly in the south, to inside with the union that emancipation becomes possible. There are limitations. There is still lower pay for black soldiers. The limited application to the areas for emancipation, particular areas, such as surrounding neurons are exempt from the emancipation block limitation. The areas that are not occupy the unit any degree, the consent federally itself has the emancipation proclamation applied to it. This idea that it is possible for you to leave your station as an enslaved person and joined the union army, either as a labor or as a soldier. This is revolutionary for quite a few reasons. The confederacy bucks against this. The confederacy sees the opening the door to emancipation as opening the door to quality. Even though various people recognize that its possible to limit the goals of emancipation by limiting equality through the law. The cornerstone of the confederacy is centered on white supremacy, centered on maintaining absolute control over the enslaved population. There is very little room for considering the possibilities of allowing enslaved people to become fighters. Theres a lot of fear surrounding it. The concern that if we open the door to emancipation, we opened the door to equality. Which completely undercuts the cornerstone of the confederacy as stated by Vice President alexander xi ones. The emancipation proclamation kicks off this process of recruitment it starts in the north, and starts with free black americans. These efforts are ad hoc. They are basically affected by individuals and by interested governors such as john a andrew of massachusetts pictured here. As well as florence abyss and businessmen such as wall who are pushing the United States government to centralize this process and to enable the recruitment not just of free black americans but all black americans. Recognizing that striking a blow at slavery will strike a blow at the confederacy itself from within. Looking into these historical processes where foreign enemies such as the british for example had taken advantage of the tension between enslaved people and enslavers in the american revolution, in the war of 1812. The u. S. Is looking to these precedents and trying to apply them. As are these particular military and war governors like john andrew. Particularly, some abolitionists minded commanders like colonel william bernie, it becomes really important in this process. As well as general thomas who alone helps instigate 41 of all of the black recruits who end up joining the United States color troops. The u. S. Recognizes that there are ways of coordinating with the black population to help its war efforts. Its only ever a war measure. The emancipation proclamation is not affected through federal law. It is not codified through the legislature. It is an executive action as commanderinchief by lincoln to use essentially the slave population against the confederacy from within. Triking at the borderthis is the u. S. Is casting this as a legally viable option for enabling emancipation. Its not striking at the border states within the union, its only effect in the confederacy. It is only a war measure. The confederacy on the other hand is very reluctant to this. By the time they start to attempt to recruit black soldiers from the enslaved population, it is very much too late. Major general patrick clyburn is the first major commander to suggest this move. He states that to open up the ranks to enslaved people would not necessarily result in emancipation. Excuse me, inequality. Emancipation was not necessarily a step to a quality. It would at least help the confederacy as a war game. Hes pushing for this. It is relatively late. He says, you know, through necessity and wides legislation this would ensure no material change. He is very much not supported in this initially. [laughs] it takes until general robert e. Lee starts advocating for it around february 18th 65, january 1865. Very late in the war. Any attempts are made to use as a people a soldiers. Up to this point, enslavers have been thinking about man power for black soldiers and black people solely through labor. They are impressing free black man, they are impressing as a black man. But only to work on foreign fortifications. Only to work on the capacity that has been according to them, property to be used at the will of enslavers and the state second. On the other hand the United States and blackmon are looking at man power not just as means of labor and fighting power, but power as men. The presence in the Armed Services of the nation affords legitimate sea and citizenship which has not been positive majority of black americans at this point. The idea man power is twofold for black americans. I think its very appropriate theater tonight. Black americans in the midst of all of this, the confederacys, refusing to use the 4 million, about 1 million military aged enslaved black man within the confederacy for those purposes. For military efforts. Black americans are basically acting out of their own self interest wherever opportunities are possible, they have a variety of means in which to do this. This is very much apparent by the initial acts of self emancipation that are starting well before the war. And continue throughout the early period. People like robert smalls, henry jarvis, escaping to union lines, forcing the union to deal with the reality of their willingness to support the unions cause. So, that self interest basically ends up working out in the long room, at least during the war. It takes a while for the shift to happen where efforts become centralized to enlist free and enslaved black man in the slave states especially. These efforts are made possible first by recruiting officers, they are limited to the vicinities of occupied territory. And then the actions of enslaved men themselves. N wthis is a good show, i think, of how the process was made possible. We will give you a couple of examples of men who are able to take advantage of the u. S. Coming in to confederate lions. I will try to wrap up. I know im running out of time. Basically, we have men like abram brawls who could not escape from a situation he was located around here between Central Alabama and a july 18th ofs 64. The union has started to encroach on this territory. Knowing that the union is present in georgia, he is able to take advantage of the presence of the union and order to escape. He has to escape. You cannot do so voluntarily. His enslaver will not let him to do it voluntarily. He is navigating from the nighttime 40 miles of terrain. He gets to dalton, georgia, yes, dalton, georgia. And then has to work there until hes finally signed up for the 44th United States colored infantry. We have examples like the fraction brothers, they are from blacksburg right here in Montgomery County they werent able to affect their escape until 1865 in april after the assassination of lincoln. They are situate around here. This encroachment of the army enables easier pass for people to make their way to union lines and sign up. They are still in countering the issues where they can either fight, flight, or freeze, as i would like to say. We see examples of this that Work Together as well. Fight, flight, freeze and many combinations. You can flee, but then you have to wait patiently to sign up depending on the situation available to. The louisiana native guards for example who transformed into the the presence of black men who are using soldiering by any means possible, whether its with the confederacy or the union, to affect emancipation is incredibly important. To wrap up, i know a running of time. I just want to say that i think these movements are super interesting. It shows the complexity of how interest convergence works. We have these large cancels considerations with warfare that people like president lincoln have to keep in mind. If they focus on black emancipation on too early, they lose the border states. Which are, you know, phyllis landholders. That would shift the war in a direction that the union would not necessarily be able to fight against effectively. Losing more states is a major, major concern for lincoln. He is not acting in the interests of black americans. He feels he has to act and certain different interests for the war effort. Black americans are taking these grassroots movements, theyre speaking with their feet, later with uniforms and guns can take freedom where they can. They cant always do it as soon as available to them, they sometimes have to wait. They keep in mind considerations like their family safety, and where to go, where to stay. They have to wait for information. All in all, this consideration of how the confederates essentially failed to make use and enable emancipation as a means of persisting through the war effort helps lead to the failure of the confederacy. Whereas the United States was able to coincide interest with black americans. Black americans are acting in their own selfinterest throughout all of this. So, i think there is this really interesting umbrella term, through interest convergence. It shows how the war developed and how people basically undertook what they had to an order to survive. So, with that i believe my time is up and i will stop. Thank you. Tonight is emmanuel dapney . And hes great, thank you very much. Second speaker tonight is emmanuel, he is a graduate of the university of mary washington, and also u. S. See greensboro. And, since 2001 he has been employed by the National Park service. Petersburg National Battlefield, if you have visited those terrific facilities at petersburg you have probably either seen emmanuel or at least benefited from the great work he has done there. His title for tonights the force participation of free blacks and confederate virginia. Over to you. Thank you so much. I am going to attempt to share my screen, if you can find the screen. Thank, you everyone, for joining tonight. Im going to be like doctor Caroline Wood newhall before me, i want to leave time for people to ask questions. Just to be clear, this top is not about black confederate soldiers. Other people have written about that issue, and, all of its complexities. That is not with this talk is about. Instead it is about what confederates did most of this time during the civil war. Which is how to extract labor to free up white men who served in the army. And, in this case, free black men to participate in other ways. I look forward to our discussion later. We will start with the reality that there is the confederate, there are two governments operating within virginia. The Virginia State government, the General Assembly, and the governor, and confederate congress. Which means in the Virginia State capital, as well as, of course, the confederate president in his cabinet. Immediately, soon after the war begins in the spring of 1861, the confederacy is looking to see how they can extract labor from fray black men. People who are not enslaved. And in virginia, in july of 1861, very first day of the month the Ge