African American medicine in Washington, D.C.

The service of America's African Americans in defense of our Union during the Civil War required African American nurses, doctors and surgeons to heal those soldiers. In the nation's capital, these brave healthcare workers joined together to begin to create a medical infrastructure for African Americans by African Americans. Famed surgeon Alexander T. Augusta fought discrimination to become a preeminent surgeon, visiting with President Lincoln, testifying before congress and aiding in the war effort. Washington's Freedman's Hospital was formed to serve the District's growing free black population and would later become the Howard University Medical Center. These physicians would form the National Medical Association, the largest and oldest organization representing African American doctors and patients. Including detailed analysis of African American health issues, patients and medical approaches, author Heather M. Butts recounts the heroic lives and work of Washington's African American medical community during the Civil War.