In April of 1861, the first month of the American Civil War, Alfred M. Green delivered a speech encouraging his fellow African Americans brethren to enlist in the Union Army of the United States of America. Though they did not have the opportunity to enlist at the time the speech was delivered due to racism, their own enslavement, and simply the army had never accepted black cadets, Green felt the action of attempting to enlist was of high importance because it's impact on other Union soldiers and as an act of revulsion toward their oppressors in the South.

Green delivered this proposition to his fellow brethren because he believed that if the government saw the enthusiastic response of African American's joining the Union Army, it would bring him and his brethren one step closer of "recognition as citizens." To achieve this goal Green conveys the thought of "hop[ing...