For many years, in the history of America, unless you were a soldier, if you were Black, it was illegal to carry a gun, ammunition or a bowie-knife. Imagine the power and responsibility one would feel upon given the right to carry a weapon. Black soldiers helped win the Civil War.
Suellen Ocean is the author of the Civil War Era Historic Romance, Black Pansy:
I guess you could try any number of things to pass as white. Or you could try your best to appear black. Because if you wanted to marry someone whose skin differed from yours, your life was in danger from vigilantes. There were slave laws and mixed-race marriages were NOT allowed in pre-Civil War America. Life in prison for husband and wife, was on the books in Mississippi.
Suellen Ocean is the author of the Civil War Era Historic Romance, Black Pansy:
We may not admit it but knowing where we stand as women is an important part of finding ourselves. It’s confusing for young women to know the ground rules when these days, there are many. There are the old rules left behind from the Victorian era. The rules from the Roaring Twenties that tempted women to bob their hair and express themselves through dance and politics. There are rules from the 1960s revolution, Women’s Lib, we called it. Some of those rules are impractical and do not fit today’s modern woman.
Imagine how women felt during the Civil War. They had to make changes to their belief systems. Sure, many women on farms did a lot of work. But imagine those prim and proper ladies whose men left for war. They took on new roles and changed the attitudes and the reality of American women. Yankee or Rebel. Never forgetting the role that African American women played during the Civil War, to make America what it is today.
Suellen Ocean is the author of the Civil War Era Historic Romance, Black Pansy:
There are a variety of things found on twitter. One of the more interesting twitter feeds I’ve ever seen is an account that shows North American slave ads. If you need a refresher about how horrendous slavery was, https://twitter.com/fotmproject is a great place to start. Those of us who research genealogy, may find it advantageous to scroll through these old ads and look for clues regarding Black ancestry. I was pleased to find the twitter feed and hope that the work this group does, will bring forth documents for the public to read. Searching for Black ancestry is extremely difficult but there are a lot of hidden clues. There’s a magic to this ancestry thing. I believe we are guided by those who came before us. Good luck.
Suellen Ocean is the author of the Civil War Era Historic Romance, Black Pansy:
Ancestry&History 