Before the emancipation proclamation, african americans a. were not allowed in the north b. were not allowed in border states c. could not join the union military d. could not join the confederate military

The correct answer is C. Before the Emancipation Proclamation, African Americans could not join the Union military.

Through the Emancipation Proclamation, President Lincoln authorized the participation of African Americans in the Union forces. Thus, the Civil War added a racial component to its conflict, of mainly political origin.

Nearly 200,000 African-Americans served in the Union, and 37,000 of them died fighting. These suffered the racial prejudices of their commanders and had to prove their worth on the battlefield.