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Intensely Human

The Health of the Black Soldier in the American Civil War

Margaret Humphreys

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Black soldiers in the American Civil War were far more likely to die of disease than were white soldiers. In Intensely Human, historian Margaret Humphreys explores why this uneven mortality occurred and how it was interpreted at the time. In doing so, she uncovers the perspectives of mid-nineteenth-century physicians and others who were eager to implicate the so-called innate inferiority of the black body.

In the archival collections of the U.S. Sanitary Commission, Humphreys found evidence that the high death rate among black soldiers resulted from malnourishment, inadequate shelter and...

Black soldiers in the American Civil War were far more likely to die of disease than were white soldiers. In Intensely Human, historian Margaret Humphreys explores why this uneven mortality occurred and how it was interpreted at the time. In doing so, she uncovers the perspectives of mid-nineteenth-century physicians and others who were eager to implicate the so-called innate inferiority of the black body.

In the archival collections of the U.S. Sanitary Commission, Humphreys found evidence that the high death rate among black soldiers resulted from malnourishment, inadequate shelter and clothing, inferior medical attention, and assignments to hazardous environments.

While some observant physicians of the day attributed the black soldiers' high mortality rate to these circumstances, few medical professionals—on either side of the conflict—were prepared to challenge the "biological evidence" of white superiority. Humphreys shows how, despite sympathetic and responsible physicians' efforts to expose the truth, the stereotype of black biological inferiority prevailed during the war and after.

Reviews

Reviews

Fills a void in the literature on the health of black soldiers in the war.

We still have much to learn from the Civil War as we confront issues of race, socioeconomic status, and health in 2008 and beyond.

Intensely Human is a well written, valuable work.

It is hard to imagine that any scholar today could research a topic on the Civil War that others have not address previously. Margaret Humphreys... has done just that...Humphrey's depth of knowledge in modern medical science informs this book at every turn, allowing a reader to understand the physiological implications of what she reveals.

Its lucid, balanced interpretation makes it an excellent primer on tough issues of race, medical thought, and medical practice.

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About

Book Details

Publication Date
Status
Available
Trim Size
5.5
x
8.5
Pages
224
ISBN
9780801886966
Illustration Description
3 halftones, 7 line drawings
Table of Contents

Preface
1. The Black Body at War
2. The Pride of True Manhood
3. Biology and Destiny
4. Medical Care
5. Region, Disease, and the Vulnerable Recruit
6. Louisiana
7. Death on the Rio Grande
8. Telling the Story

Preface
1. The Black Body at War
2. The Pride of True Manhood
3. Biology and Destiny
4. Medical Care
5. Region, Disease, and the Vulnerable Recruit
6. Louisiana
7. Death on the Rio Grande
8. Telling the Story
Epilogue
Notes
Index

Author Bio
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Margaret Humphreys

Margaret Humphreys is the Josiah Charles Trent Professor in the History of Medicine, a professor of history, and an associate clinical professor of medicine at Duke University. She is the author of Malaria: Poverty, Race, and Public Health in the United States, also published by Johns Hopkins.
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