This paper explains that seeing no other reasonable way to raise their own status or that of their families within civilian
society, black soldiers took a chance on the potency of the symbol and reality of
military service as a way to make their way towards full citizenship and equality. This paper states that, despite the
discrimination that blacks have faced in the military, they have at least sometimes been formally recognized for their service with nearly a dozen black men achieving the rank of general in the 19th century. The author describes that the willingness of blacks to fight alongside other Union troops not only helped the Union effort, but also helped push for more equal rights for black men in society.