Do you think that slaves and African-Americans purposefully took advantage of the war to better their status in American society?

Watch Race and the Civil War (1:58:03) and read Richard Lowe’s The Freedmen’s Bureau and Local Black Leadership. As you listen to the roundtable and read Lowe’s article, consider the following questions: • Do you think that slaves and African-Americans purposefully took advantage of the war to better their status in American society? • How important is it to keep considering the Civil War and its impact on race and race relations? • How important were the African-American troops to setting precedents and influencing subsequent events? Explain how you think Professor Lowe’s thesis and argument holds up in light of the C-Span video. C-Span Video: http://www.c-span.org/video/?303138-1/race-civil-war&start=366