The inspiring story of the first African American soldiers to serve during the post slavery era. Many have heard how Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders charged up San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War. But often forgotten in the great swamp of history is that Roosevelt's success was ensured by a dedicated corps of black soldiers-the so-called Buffalo Soldiers-who fought by Roosevelt's side during his legendary campaign. This book tells their...

Three related themes are examined in this fascinating study: the social dynamics of race relations in Union Army camps, the relationship that evolved between Southern and Northern black soldiers, and the role off-duty activities played in helping the soldiers meet the demands of military service and the challenges of freedom. By vividly portraying the soldiers' camp life and by carefully analyzing their collective memory, the author sets the camp...

"In this enlightening and informative work, military historian and author Lt. Col. Michael Lee Lanning reveals the under-acknowledged, critical, and heroic role both enslaved and free African Americans played in the American Revolution while serving - despite racism - in integrated units. An invaluable perspective for readers of American history, military history--and for all Americans as discrimination remains a central issue"--

We think of the American Revolution as the war for independence from British colonial rule. But, of course, that independence actually applied to only a portion of the American population-African Americans would still be bound in slavery for nearly another century. Drawing on first-person accounts and primary sources, Alan Gilbert asks us to rethink what we know about the Revolutionary War, to realize that while white Americans were fighting for...

A sweeping and original look at American slavery in the early nineteenth century that reveals the gamble slaves had to take to survive Images of American slavery conjure up cotton plantations and African American slaves locked in bondage until the Civil War. Yet early on in the nineteenth century the state of slavery was very different, and the political vicissitudes of the young nation offered diverse possibilities to slaves. In the century's...

"Grace Steele and Eliza Jones may be from completely different backgrounds, but when it comes to the army, specifically the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), they are both starting from the same level. Not only will they be among the first class of female officers the army has even seen, they are also the first Black women allowed to serve. As these courageous women help to form the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, they are dealing with...

"During the mid-1880s, the first black regiments of the US Army were formed. These soldiers served on the western frontier, as well as conflicts in Cuba, the Philippines, and Mexico. They were nicknamed "buffalo soldiers," by Native Americans. Despite their upstanding service, these courageous men faced prejudice in their own country. In this educational text, readers will learn all about the history of the buffalo soldiers. Photographs bring the...