To look like men of war: visual transformation narratives of African American Union Soldiers
This article examines clothing’s role in the transformation of African American slaves into Union soldiers during the American Civil War (1861-1865), exploring how and why military uniforms bore narrative weight in visual depictions of these men. Text, images, material objects, prints and photograph...
Salvato in:
| Pubblicato in: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/cliowgh, |
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| Autore principale: | |
| Natura: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Lingua: | Anglais |
| Pubblicazione: |
Clio
2018
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| Soggetti: | |
| Accesso online: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Riassunto: | This article examines clothing’s role in the transformation of African American slaves into Union soldiers during the American Civil War (1861-1865), exploring how and why military uniforms bore narrative weight in visual depictions of these men. Text, images, material objects, prints and photographs are examined within the context of nineteenth-century American conceptions of bodily management, posture, and developing theories on physical anthropology and phrenology. The article highlights the role of these images in constructing both a coherent narrative of redemption from slavery and a more inclusive, universal category of “men” that was linked to military service. |
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