The 54th Regiment
The 54th Regiment was the first all black regiment (with the exception of its leaders) in the northern states. The group was organized in March of 1863 with the majority of its members being free slaves from the Massachussets and Pennsylvania areas. They are most famous for their unsuccessful attack on confederate troops at Battery Wagner.
The Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincon on January 1, 1863. This document declared that, "all persons held as slaves are, and henceforward shall be free." However, this only applied to the states that had secceded and would only follow through if the North was victorious in the war. This made the Union determined and motivated them to give it their all to win the war.