African Americans in the U.S. Armed Forces: A History

Introduction: African American Labor and Military Service

Africans and African Americans have always played an integral part in the foundation, establishment, and operation of the United States of America. This nation was largely erected through slave labor, in which African Americans worked in the southern-based agricultural industries upon which the nation's economy was built, constructed the railroad system that helped connect the country's disparate regions, and engaged in numerous skilled and unskilled tasks that eventually enabled America to thrive as a superpower. If African American contributions within the military have been significantly less discernible, they are no less important. Quite simply, African American soldiers were influential in all of the major wars this country has fought, from the Revolutionary War to the current War on Terror.

This fact, in conjunction with the labor African Americans produced in civilian life — even during the epoch in which they were not even considered full persons under the law — renders it untenable to deny these people equality in any socio-economic climate that has existed in America's history. As such, they are certainly deserving of the same civil rights and human rights as any other citizen of this country, or of any other country as well.

One of the lesser-known facts associated with the founding of the United States is the role that African American soldiers played in the waging of the Revolutionary War. In this conflict, as in many that followed, African Americans fought alongside Americans of European descent. Evidence indicates that during the Revolutionary War, African Americans actually fought on both sides — that of the colonists and that of the British — particularly since Britain abolished slavery well before America did (Selig). Although the motives for African American soldiers differed from those of their European counterparts — the latter were waging war for socio-economic freedom, whereas African Americans were fighting to gain freedom from slavery — they nonetheless bore arms and fought and died alongside other Americans during this martial encounter.

It is significant that both factions in the Revolutionary War attempted to exploit African American military prowess in much the same way they had exploited African American slave labor. The British promised African Americans freedom if they would join the Loyalist side. The colonists permitted African Americans to enlist on their side in 1777, during a period of exhaustion and desperation. The following quotation underscores this point:

The Revolutionary War and Early Enlistment

"General Washington allowed the enlistment of free blacks with 'prior military experience' in January 1776, and extended the enlistment terms to all free blacks in January 1777 in order to help fill the depleted ranks of the Continental Army. Because the states constantly failed to meet their quotas of manpower for the army, Congress authorized the enlistment of all blacks, free and slave, in 1777." (National Park Service)

This quotation is vital to understanding the importance of African Americans in this conflict. It is also largely indicative of the broader role they played in establishing the country. Americans of European descent did not initially wish to employ African Americans and considered their own pursuits too distinguished for Black participation. Yet when their situation became desperate, they turned to African Americans, who helped them enormously. It is also worth noting that most Colonial regiments were racially integrated — demonstrating that racial cooperation was possible in the United States during times of adversity — and that African Americans comprised a substantial portion of the colonial forces.

African Americans also contributed significantly to the U.S. effort against the British in the War of 1812. Their involvement in this conflict was typical of their participation in American wars prior to the abolition of slavery. Both freedmen and enslaved individuals were recruited to help repel the British in what many historians have characterized as a reprise of the Revolutionary War. Many enslaved people were drawn by the promise of freedom in exchange for military service — a reward that the British side also offered, just as had been the case during the earlier conflict.

A significant portion of this war was fought at sea, and many African Americans joined the U.S. Navy, playing important roles in victories against British ships. Britain's practice of impressment — seizing American vessels and forcing their sailors to serve the Royal Navy — had been among the war's primary triggers. Despite the integrated ranks of the U.S. forces, old hostilities persisted. Commander Oliver Perry, for example, did not respect his Black seamen and complained that he had received only "Blacks, soldiers and boys." Commodore Isaac Chauncey disagreed, stating that many of the best men aboard his own ship were Black (New York State).

What is significant about African American participation in the War of 1812 is that both enslaved and free Black individuals were willing to risk their lives in service to a nation that withheld their basic humanity. Freemen fought to advance America's interests; the enslaved fought for personal liberty. In both cases, they endured the same dangers as any other soldier or sailor on the field of battle.

The approach of calling upon African American soldiers during times of military necessity reached its most consequential expression during the Civil War. Prior to Abraham Lincoln's re-election, the outcome of the war was uncertain — and at points appeared to favor a Confederate victory. These realities were among the key motivations behind Lincoln's decision to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, which "eliminated laws that suppressed African Americans from serving in 1863" (Wells). This executive order did more than outlaw slavery; it allowed African Americans to reinforce the ranks of the Union Army in a manner that proved as vital as their service during the Revolutionary War.

The War of 1812 and African American Sailors

African American men — including many from Confederate states — seized the opportunity with enthusiasm. "Once they obtained the right to serve for the Union two years into the Civil War, the men volunteered in droves. By the end of the war, more than 200,000 volunteered and about 40,000 died" (Wells). Their efforts, combined with effective tactical leadership from Union commanders such as William T. Sherman, helped to turn the tide of the war and preserve the Union. It would not be an overstatement to say that African Americans played a fundamental role not only in building this nation, but in preserving it.

The ramifications of the Civil War for African American military service were paradoxical. Despite substantial contributions to American military victories and the abolition of slavery, bigotry and prejudice remained deeply entrenched in the armed forces. African American involvement in the military was sharply curtailed following the Civil War and reduced to "six Regular Army regiments of black troops with white officers" (Bryan). Military clashes with Native Americans and the escalation of the Spanish-American War did little to change the fact that, prior to World War I, African Americans were systematically excluded from the U.S. military — much as they were excluded from other dimensions of American life.

The First World War changed this dynamic significantly. The nation "quickly realized that the standing army of 126,000 men would not be enough to ensure victory overseas" (Bryan), and previous restrictions on African American enlistment were abandoned. A revised draft required all men between the ages of 21 and 31 to register for military service, regardless of race. Although African American troops in both World Wars were still largely confined to support roles and seen limited frontline combat, it is important to note that several all-Black regiments did see combat during both conflicts. The shift in drafting policy during World War I nonetheless marked a pivotal turning point in the military's racial dynamics.

The Civil Rights Movement of the late 1950s and 1960s further advanced equality for African American civilians and soldiers alike, ultimately securing legal integration within the armed forces (Kuryla 10). While this movement made enormous gains, many argue — with compelling evidence in the form of ongoing violence and brutality against African Americans — that full civil and human rights have yet to be fully realized. Nevertheless, the Civil Rights Movement paved the way for considerably more equitable treatment of African American soldiers, a change that has been evident in virtually every military conflict the United States has engaged in since that era. African American soldiers served with distinction in the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the ongoing War on Terror, and today hold senior ranking positions in a military that has become a meaningful career path for many African Americans.

Conclusion: Service, Sacrifice, and the Case for Equality

Younge, Gary. "America Dreaming." New Statesman. 142 (5171): 20–23. 2013. Print.