The 27th United States Colored Troops consisted largely of Ohioans. They served in the Union Army from April 1864 to September 1865 in Virginia and North Carolina. These men who were already free before the war hoped that their participation would lead to increased rights in the northern states. The creation and success of the 166 black regiments during the Civil War served as contradictory evidence against the tenets of nineteenth-century ideals of white racial superiority. Black troops had confidence in their military accomplishments, therefore they believed that their manhood should be recognized as carrying the same birthright of political and social justice as white soldiers. The men of the 27th returned to Ohio after the war. They and their families optimistically sought full access to the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments and compensatory citizenship rights for their collective sacrifice. For the rest of their lives black veterans experienced both success and disappointment as they strived to obtain their due. In spite of Ohio's persistently discriminatory atmosphere, they contributed significantly to societal changes in northern communities during the postwar years. This dissertation expands the discussion of black wartime participation to include the postwar results of their involvement. It moves the conversation away from the debate over the degree of significance that can be attributed to black troops concerning Union victory or Confederate loss. Instead this project analyzes how the Civil War and African American participation affected post-bellum society. Specifically, how free Ohio blacks interpreted and understood their own participation in the Civil War. It also reveals how they and their families used their military service to negotiate an increased role in Ohio society and obtain the benefits of federal citizenship. Despite the white resistance to blacks obtaining their rights, African Americans who served in the 27th Regiment understood their role in helping to preserve the Union. Ultimately, they used their position as martial citizens to pursue personal gains. But they also gave the Ohio black community realistic hope of achieving equal status as American citizens through the tangible evidence provided by their receipt of pensions, GAR membership, and participation in Civil War commemorative activities.