African Americans, also known as Afro-Americans or Black Americans, are an
ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from any of the
Black racial groups of Africa. African Americans constitute the third largest racial or ethnic group in the U.S. after
White Americans and
Hispanic and Latino Americans. Most African Americans are descendants of
enslaved people, having West African and coastal Central African ancestry, with varying amounts of Western European and Native American ancestry. This
ambrotype depicts African American
Union soldier Sgt. Samuel Smith, of the 119th
United States Colored Troops, with his family in
c. 1863–65.
Ambrotype credit: unattributed photographer
