At the corner of Vermont Avenue and U Street NW in Washington, D.c., sits the African American Civil War Memorial. The memorial commemorates the service of 209,145 African-American solders and sailors that fought for the union in the American Civil War. The Spirit of Freedom Statue, created by Ed Hamilton of Louisville, Kentucky, was commissioned by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities in 1997. This memorial includes panels with the names of those who served in the war. The memorial was developed by the African American Civil War Memorial Freedom Foundation. It was then transferred to the National Park Service on October 27, 2004. The memorial is managed by the National Mall and Memorial Parks of NPS.

Located two blocks west of the memorial, the associated museum opened to the public in January 1999. The propose or mission was to enable visitors, descendants, and researchers, of the United States Colored Troops a better understanding of these troops. Here you can find photographs, newspaper articles, and replicas of period clothing. The uniforms and weaponry of the Civil War can also be found. The foundation documents the family trees of more than two thousand descendants of those who have served with USCT and invites descendants to register. This process allows visitors to search for relative who may have registered in the Descendants Registry.

In 1992 as a Bill in Congress that was presented by Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton of the District of Columbia, The African American Civil War Memorial started. Shortly after the work and development of the site began. Under the leadership of Frank Smith, Jr., who also served as the monitoring committee at the time. The Spirit Of Freedom, is a 9′1/2 bronze solider, who left for war. In the front there are three infantry soldiers and a sailor as the protector of freedom. The backside consists of family groups.

It was finally completed in early 1997 and was installed on the two foot high round base on July 16, 1998 and dedicated two days later. The Spirit of Freedom was cast in Baltimore, Maryland at the New Arts Foundry.