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: Hispanics and the Civil War (U.S. National Park Service)
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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
Fort Union National Monument
National Park Service, Fort Union National Monument
The Civil War. For many Americans this conflict evokes images of the storied battlefields of North and South and of dramatic changes in the lives of Americans of African and Anglo descent. Lesser known is the story of the people of Spanish ancestry who participated in this epic conflict and of the many battles that took place in the West, in areas of large Hispanic populations and strong Spanish heritage. Like all Americans, Hispanics were deeply affected by the Civil War. When the conflict erupted, they lived in all parts of the country. Some traced their ancestry to explorers who settled in North America generations ahead of the English. Many had suddenly found themselves classified as Americans when the United States expanded its boundaries. Others were recent immigrants from Spain and Latin America, drawn to the United States to improve their lives. When the nation split in two, many were forced to choose whether to support the Union or the Confederacy. Some had little choice as they were swept into the maelstrom.