Proving Their Valor: A Military History of the U.S.C.T. Soldiers from Monroe County, Pennsylvania

This thesis adds to the literature on Monroe County, Pennsylvania, and Civil War history by examining the performance of U.S.C.T. soldiers from Monroe County in the face of institutionalized discrimination. The methodology of this research has been to consult the soldiers' military records in the Monroe County Historical Association, and to compare them to established literature and primary sources that document the discriminations suffered by black troops during the Civil War. The conclusion is that the U.S.C.T. soldiers from Monroe County served faithfully and bravely despite facing institutionalized forms of discrimination. The larger implication of this research is that the military performance of individuals is not necessarily impeded by discrimination on the part of their government.