Trivia 1-22-18 True or False

[mofederal]

https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/blacks-civil-war

True in June of 1864 Black soldier's pay was made equal to the white soldier's pay, and it was made retroactive.

 

[saddlebum92]

True. Private Ray would not sign his voucher for seven dollars, and by the end of June the Pay scale was equalized

 

[lelliott19]

True: Their equal pay was made retroactive. In June 1864 Congress granted equal pay to the U.S. Colored Troops and made the action retroactive. https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/blacks-civil-war

 

[ami]

true
source: https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/blacks-civil-war

Edit - I don't like doing this, but once again, I feel that I must declare all answers correct for this question.

The question asked whether black soldiers received equal pay retroactive to the date of their enlistment. The source presented with the official answer says only that in June 1864 Congress granted equal pay to the U. S. Colored Troops and made the action retroactive. It does not say that Congress made that action retroactive to the date of their enlistment.

The actual wording of the law can be found at this source: http://www.freedmen.umd.edu/equalpay.htm

Section 2 of that law makes it clear that "all persons of color...(in) the military service of the United States shall receive the same pay and emoluments...as other soldiers...from and after (January 1, 1864.)"

That makes it clear that members who enlisted in the USCT between January 1, 1864 and the time the law was passed in June of that year would get equal pay retroactive to the date of their enlistment. But what about those who enlisted prior to January 1, 1864?

Section 4 of the law tries to address that issue. It says "all persons of color who were free on (April 19, 1861) shall, from the time of their enlistment, be entitled to receive the pay...allowed to such persons by the laws existing at the time of their enlistment. And the Attorney-General of the United States is hereby authorized to determine any question of law arising under this provision."

In other words, "We're not sure what we just said here, but if anyone asks about it, we'll let the Attorney General sort it out."

This may have been interpreted to mean that those who were free on April 19, 1861 and enlisted prior to January 1, 1864 would get equal pay retroactive to their enlistment.

Or it may have been interpreted to mean that those who were free on April 19, 1861 and enlisted prior to January 1, 1864 were only entitled to the lesser pay that was called for by the laws existing when they enlisted.

But it seems clear that, for those who enlisted prior to January 1, 1864, this legislation did not give equal pay retroactive to the date of enlistment unless they had been free on April 19, 1861.

So, for some black soldiers, it was true that the law gave them equal pay retroactive to the date of enlistment. For other black soldiers, it was not.

Thus, both True and False are correct answers to the question as stated.

hoosier