Intensely Human: The Health of the Black Soldier in the American Civil War - Hardcover

"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."

"Well written, interesting, and informative. The narrative is honest and straightforward, and Intensely Human gives readers some insight into current health disparities."

"[Humphreys] underscores the callousness, corruption, disrespect, incompetence, and neglect by government medical officials toward black soldiers."

"Intensely Human is a meticulously researched and well-written book."

"Intensely Human fills a void in the emerging study of medical treatment for black soldiers."

"Shows how a careful regard for both historical thought and the historical record can deepen our understanding of racial disparities in health and health care."

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.