Which of the following options BEST supports the idea that the skills of African-Americans were not fully utilized during the Civil War? A
They were turned away, however, because of a federal law dating from 1792 that barred African-Americans from bearing arms for the U. S. Army (although they had served in the American Revolution and in the War of 1812).
B
By mid-1862, however, the escalating number of former slaves, the declining number of white volunteers and the increasingly pressing needs of the Union Army pushed the government into reconsidering the ban.
C
Because of prejudice against them, black units were not used in combat as extensively as they might have been.
D
Nevertheless, the soldiers served with distinction in a number of battles in Louisiana, Virginia and Tennessee.