The document discusses the roles of African Americans during the Civil War. It notes that Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, which freed slaves in Confederate states. It also describes how over 200,000 African Americans served in the Union army and navy during the war, making up 10% of the army and 18% of the navy by the end. The document outlines both the contributions of African American soldiers and resistance they faced from those opposed to black soldiers.