In The Field, Special Edition: Black Nurses of the Civil War

From 1861 to 1865, the northern states loyal to the Union and the southern states dedicated to the Confederate States fought against each other over Black people's enslavement and the state's rights. In 1862, Abraham Lincoln signed the first version of the Emancipation Proclamation. In this, he declared that Black people could now fight in the Civil War and, in turn, for their freedom. Soldiers weren't the only ones on the battlefields though- here are 2 well known Black women who used their abilities as nurses during the Civil War.

Harriet Tubman

As a young woman, Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery in Maryland with others' help on the Underground Railroad. When she got word that her niece and children were, She's best known for being one of these conductors helping others who were like her. In her lifetime, she returned to the south 19 times to help over a hundred slaves to freedom. 

Her contributions are mainly focused on her ability to get slaves to freedom and her participation in the Civil War as a spy and scout for the Union; a lesser-known fact is that Harriet Tubman was also a nurse during the Civil War. She moved to South Carolina bringing medical care to Black people who had been abandoned by the slave masters, then moving to Virginia a few years later to help injured Black soldiers who were often denied care by white medical personnel.

Tubman remained connected to her heritage by using the roots and herbs taught to her as a child to heal the diseases and injuries. These techniques were often feared by slaver owners due to a fear of being poisoned. Her ability to remember these remedies helped her along her journey on the Underground Railroad and her time as a nurse during the Civil War.

Sadly, after the Civil War, Harriet Tubman's efforts were largely dismissed by the US Government. She didn't receive any pension or pay for her actions. It wasn't until 1899, about 30 years after the Civil War, that Harriet Tubman received some sort of pay. This came in the form of a widows-pension as her husband, who was also a Civil War veteran, had passed away.

Sojourner Truth

Another woman not spoken about for her efforts in the Civil War is Sojourner Truth. Typically, she is known for her fight for abolition, woman's rights, and religious freedom; she was also a nurse during this time. Although her work isn't as documented as Harriet Tubmans as she was a private nurse, she used her voice to speak for those who couldn't speak for themselves, fighting for the equal medical care of Black men and women deserved. Truth also stood in front of Congress promoting nurse education and training programs after becoming a National Freedom's Relief Association member.

Nurses are the crux of the healthcare system. We provide the extra care doctors can't always give. Black women are no strangers to this as they bring their knowledge and experiences to the industry. For years, their contributions have been rewritten, dismissed, and forgotten. As we continue to create a healthcare system that gives treatment fairly and without bias, let's continue to remember these two women and the ones whose stories were never shared.