African American Civil War Museum

Telling the ancestors’ stories

Marquett, a young African American Civil War re-enactor, dressed in a period infantry uniform, considers himself the face of the museum in that, by virtue of his stature, he represents “the average look, size, and age of a colored Civil War soldier.” He and other staff members tell little-known stories of the formerly enslaved people and freedmen who had nothing to lose and everything to gain in their fight for freedom. Faces of men and women look out from the walls as if to call you over to read their stories.

This museum tells the oft-ignored history and contribution of the US Colored Troops (USCT), who were over 10 percent of Northern troops, in the war that ended slavery and preserved the union. The rich, complex, and difficult aspects of African American life before, during, and after the war are depicted not just in battle stories, but also in tales of community, survival, and the fight for freedom.

Tales of bravery and fearlessness abound. Child musicians, as young as eight years old, tapped out officers’ commands on their drums in codes distinct for each regiment, to communicate with the mostly illiterate ranks. Troops knew the orders were for their regiment based on a drummer’s introduction. Wilberforce University, a historically black college in Ohio, was shut down during the war, as so many students had enlisted in the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, the first USCT unit, as told in the movie, Glory. Two sons of abolitionist Frederick Douglass served, one in the Infantry and one in the Cavalry. President Lincoln ensured by June 1864 that all colored troops were paid equally, plus back pay, to their white counterparts.

On the first Saturday of each month, USCT descendants come to tell their ancestors’ stories for the public and for the museum’s archives. The museum plans to expand into the adjacent building in late 2022.

Address 1925 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001, +1 (202) 667-2667, www.afroamcivilwar.org | Getting there Metro to U Street/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo (Yellow and Green Line); bus 90, 92, 96 to U Street and Vermont Avenue NW | Hours Mon 10am – 5pm, Tue – Fri 10am – 6:30pm, Sat 10am – 4pm, Sun noon – 4pm | Tip Directly across the street is the African American Civil War Memorial, “Dedicated to those who served in African American units of the Union Army in the Civil War.” Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s ancestors Jerry Suttor and Caesar Cohen, who served in the US Colored Troops, are there.