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Smalls 6 African Americans In the Military
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Added on 2020-10-26
Smalls 6 African Americans In the Military
Added on 2020-10-26
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Smalls 1African Americans In the Military: WarsResearch PaperAfrican Americans in the Military: WarsThroughout the history of America, the African American has played a significant role in the defense of freedom and democracy for all Americans. There have been several major wars
Smalls 2that African Americans have fought and died in. These wars are the Civil War, World War I and World War II. Each of these wars represent a time in American history that affected the liberties bestowed upon each and every American. It also marked major milestones for African American men and women in the military. My goal in this paper is to bring to light the successes and firsts of the African American in the military. To achieve this goal, I will talk about the three major wars fought during the last two-hundred years. I will also discuss the advancements of blacks in the military during each of the wars. During the Civil War (1861-1865), America was in a battle to solidify the union of the states. The Confederate States of America, which were the lower 11 southern states, seceded from the union in order to protect slavery in the south. According the National Archives, by the end of the Civil War, roughly 179,000 black men (10% of the Union Army) served as soldiers in the U.S. Army and another 19,000 served in the Navy. Nearly 40,000 black soldiers died over the course of the war—30,000 of infection or disease [ CITATION Hom17 \l 1033 ]. Blacks played a prominent role in winning of the Civil War. During this time, the first black regiment was established. The soldiers were from states like Massachusetts, South Carolina and Tennessee. In May 1863, the Corps d’ Afrique was formed in Louisiana by Union major general Nathanial Banks [ CITATION Afr18 \l 1033 ]. General Banks wanted 18 regiments in the following areas; infantry, artillery and cavalry, with engineers and mobile hospitals. Blacks also had roles as nurses, cooks, blacksmiths, spies, and scouts. Abraham Lincoln through the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves in all the states, enable blacks to have opportunities that they may not have had otherwise. The signing of the Emancipation Proclamation allowed for the creation of the Bureau of Colored Troops in 1863. The bureau was used to manage colored enlistees entering the military.
Smalls 3After the Civil War, many things changed in the United States as it relates to African Americans in the military. Following the Civil War, the Army disbanded volunteer “colored” regiments, and established six Regular Army regiments of black troops with white officers[ CITATION Jam15 \l 1033 ]. There was a period of time that blacks slowly left the military to start farms and build families. There was also a huge migration of southern blacks moving to the north in pursuit of a better life for their families. When World War I started, there were four all-black regiments: the 9th and 10th Cavalry and the 24th and 25th Infantry[ CITATION Jam15 \l 1033 ].The president during World War I was Woodrow Wilson. President Wilson instituted a draft to build the size of the military to fight the war. Over one million African Americans responded to their draft calls, and roughly 370,000 black men were inducted into the army[ CITATION Cha11 \l 1033 ]. The US government sent black troops overseas and among them were two divisions, the 92nd and the 93rd. Pictured in (figure 1), the 93rd division was loaned to the French army by the US. 93rd Division's 369th Infantry Regiment from New York became the most famous fighting unit of African-American troops[ CITATION Cha11 \l 1033 ].The troops from the 93rd Division were known as the “Harlem Hellfighters”. Many African Americans serving in France were treated far better than those serving with white armies. The 93rd service members served with distinction as they fought alongside their French counterparts. Seventy-one members of the regiment received the French Croix de Guerre, and another twenty-one soldiers received the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) [ CITATION Jam15 \l
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