History of North America

How did southern slaves help aid the north during civil war?

While there were enslaved individuals who provided aid to the Union during the Civil War, they generally did so by running away and joining Northern forces, or by providing intelligence and assistance to Union soldiers. For example, thousands of enslaved people escaped from the South and became Union soldiers, serving in the U.S. Army.

Escaping enslaved individuals often provided valuable information about Confederate positions and troop movements, providing the North with significant strategic advantages. They were also sometimes employed in noncombat roles such as spies and scouts, or acted as guides and laborers.

It's important to recognize the agency and contributions of enslaved people during the war, and remember that their assistance to the North wasn't always motivated by a loyalty to the Union, but also by a desire for personal freedom and the abolition of slavery.