Worksheets and No Prep Teaching Resources Reading Comprehension Worksheets The Civil War (1861-1865)

Black Americans in the Civil War The Civil War (1861-1865)

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Black Americans in the Civil War
Print Black Americans in the Civil War Reading Comprehension


Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 8 to 10
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	7.4

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		Bowser, coachman, unchallenged, best, ironclad, better, alienate, purposely, refusing, supportive, cache, photographic, contribution, tactics, regiment, slip
	content words:		George Scott, James River, John Scobell, Allan Pinkerton, General George McClellan, Mary Touvestre, William A., Mary E., Harriet Tubman, Underground Railroad

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Black Americans in the Civil War By Mary Lynn Bushong

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¹     While many people loyal to the Union lived in the South, no group was more supportive of the Union than African Americans. They not only served as spies, providing information on plans and troop movements, but they also fought for the freedom they earnestly desired.
 
²     One of the most effective ways of helping the Union was through spying. One of the first spies was George Scott. He was a runaway slave who was able to scout the Confederate position at Big Bethel (near Hampton, Virginia) and give a good report to Union general Benjamin Butler. In spite of Scott's good information, the Confederates won that battle.
 
³     One of the best men who spied for the Union was John Scobell. He'd been a slave before the war but was freed before it began. Recruited by Allan Pinkerton, the spy master for General George McClellan, Scobell would often slip into Virginia and speak to slaves or leaders in the black community. They would provide information about troop movements and supplies.

Paragraphs 4 to 9:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable

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The Civil War
(1861-1865)

The Civil War (1861-1865)

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United States

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