Black men were barred from enlisting in the United States military when the Civil War broke out in 1861. By war’s end in 1865, nearly 200,000 Black soldiers had served in that same military, playing a pivotal role in preserving the Union and ending slavery. General Ulysses S. Grant’s thinking on this subject, and his use of Black soldiers in both combat and non-combat roles under his command, will be discussed by Historian and Curator Nick Sacco (Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site).