Title: Hispanics and the Civil War (U.S. National Park Service)
Headings: Hispanics and the Civil War
Hispanics and the Civil War
Civil War Defenses of Washington , Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park, Pecos National Historical Park, Stones River National Battlefield
Context for Conflict
Spanish Roots in American Soil
Soldiers in the Southeast
Soldiers in the North
Sailors: North and South
Immigrants Fighting under Different Flags
Soldiers in the Southwest
Hispanics on the Homefront
From Civil War to Civil Rights
Conclusion

Content: From the first shots at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, in 1861 to the last action at Palmito Ranch, Texas, in 1865, many Hispanics made a conscious decision to join the fight: some for the Union and some for the Confederacy. They responded to a variety of motives, public and private. They represented all socio-economic levels, from wealthy aristocrats fighting to preserve a way of life to impoverished laborers seeking to improve their fortunes. Patriotism, personal gain, regional conditions, and history all played a role in their decisions. By the close of the war, more than 20,000 Hispanics had participated in the bloody conflict and thousands of Hispanic civilians had lent hearts and hands on the homefront, weaving their own individual stories into this important national fabric. Spanish Roots in American Soil
Completed in 1672, Castillo de San Marcos symbolizes the Spanish heritage of St. Augustine, Florida, the first permanent European settlement in the continental United States. National Park Service, Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
People of Spanish heritage established roots in North America centuries before the Civil War. Following the arrival of Columbus in 1492, many explorers rushed to claim the "New World" for Spain, including the mainland of North America. As early as 1526, Spanish settlers attempted to colonize the shores of what is now South Carolina.