Military Resources: Blacks in the Military
NARA Resources
- "Black Men in Navy Blue during the Civil War"
- This article by Joseph P. Reidy appeared in the Fall 2001 issue of the NARA publication Prologue.
- This site from the Harry S. Truman Library provides finding aids to documents relating to the desegration of U.S. Armed Forces. Also available is a .
- "Documenting African-Americans in the Records of Military Agencies"
- An article by Lisha Penn from the Summer 1997 issue of the NARA publication Prologue.
- This site provides a digitized image of Executive Order 9981, a transcript, and a discussion of the document and its background.
- "Exploring the Life and History of the 'Buffalo Soldiers'"
- Walter Hill, author of this article in The Record, and an archivist at NARA, writes about the black military presence during the Civil War period, and after the war, when the members of the 10th Calvary acquired the name "Buffalo Soldiers" during the 1871 campaign against the Comanche Indians.
- "Face to Face with History"
- Prologue article by Jill L. Newmark about black Civil War surgeons.
- The Fight for Equal Rights: Black Soldiers in the Civil War
- This is a NARA Teaching with Documents lesson on Colored Troops during the Civil War. It includes topics such as Preserving the Legacy of the U.S. Colored Troops, Treatment of Black POWs, and more.
- "Jim Crow, Meet Lieutenant Robinson: A 1944 Court-Martial"
- John Vernon's Prologue article about the court martial of baseball great Jackie Robinson after he refused to sit in the rear of a camp bus.
- "The Lions' History: Researching World War II Images of African-Americans"
- An article by Barbara L. Burger from the Summer 1997 issue of the NARA publication Prologue.
- Photographs of the 369th Infantry and African Americans during World War I
- A Teaching with Documents lesson plan that covers the 369th Infantry, an all-black regiment known as the "Harlem Hellfighters."
- Pictures of African Americans during World War II
- A selection of photographs of African American military personnel during World War II.
- "Racial Identity and the Case of Captain Michael Healy, USRCS"
- An article by James M. O'Toole from the Fall 1997 issue of the NARA publication Prologue.
- "Researching African Americans in the U.S. Army, 1866-1890: Buffalo Soldiers and Black Infantrymen"
- An article by Trevor Plante from the Spring 2001 issue of the NARA publication Prologue.
- "Voices of Emancipation: Union Pension Files Giving Voice to Former Slaves"
- Prologue article by Donald R. Shaffer and Elizabeth Regosin.
Other Resources
- This lesson plan includes links to relevant documents.
- The Naval History & Heritage Command maintains this site which includes photographs, biographies, information about ships and submarines, and "Interesting Reads."
- This lesson plan from the Library of Congress includes several documents.
- A lesson plan from Edsitement.
- The Buffalo Soldiers Research Museum provides this site that presents the role of African American women in America's armed conflicts.
- This site includes the names of the recipients and the heroic actions that were recognized with the Medal of Honor.
- "Historical Information on African-Americans in the Coast Guard and its Predecessor Services."
- A selection of images relating to African Americans serving in the Navy during World War II.
- This article by Gerry J. Gilmore discusses the contributions of African Americans to the United States military.
- Paper presented by George Cooper at the Korean War Conference: Commemorating the 60th Anniversary.
- The U.S. Army created this site that includes a timeline, profiles, and resources.
- From the Internet Archives comes this Army documentary that contains extensive film footage of African-Americans fighting in World War II.
- This article appeared in the Winter 1998-1999 edition of Studies in Intelligence, a publication of the CIA's Center for the Study of Intelligence.
- This site discusses some of the African American soldiers and sailors buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
- The National Park Service describes African American soldiers' role in the Spanish-American War.
- This site describes the Daughters of the American Revolution's (DAR) Forgotten Patriots Project, which "focuses on the important contributions made by African American and American Indian patriots of the American Revolution." Available for download is Forgotten Patriots – African American and American Indian Patriots of the Revolutionary War: A Guide to Service, Sources, and Studies.
- Online version of the book by Morris J. MacGregor, Jr. that "describes the fall of the legal, administrative, and social barriers to the black American's full participation in the military service of his country."
- A listing of Navy ships named for African Americans along with the reasons for the honor.
- A timeline from the Department of Defense.
- Part of the Marines in World War II Commemorative Series.
- This University of Virginia site features political cartoons of the Civil War era.
- A database detailing the lives and service of more than 18,000 men and women of African descent who served in the U.S. military throughout the Civil War era. Users can search by name or regiment, or they can explore topics such as .
- This website from PBS describes African American participation in several bloody Civil War battles.
- This site includes photos, descriptions, and videos.
- The story of African-American women who volunteered for military service during the war in Vietnam is recalled on this site.
- Discussion by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. about the black community's efforts to desegrate the military during World War II.