Unsung Patriots: African Americans in America's Wars

African Americans have played a significant role in American military history, contributing to every war from the colonial wars to World War II. Gene Bétit's book "Black Patriots: The Story of African Americans in the War for America" tells this important story with verve and respect, ensuring that African Americans receive their due recognition for their brave deeds.

Format: Hardback
Length: 400 pages
Publication date: 01 May 2023
Publisher: Stackpole Books

The role of African Americans in American military history has often been overlooked, but their contributions to every war in the nation's history are significant. From the colonial wars to the Civil War, the Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812, African Americans served as seamen, gunners, and marine sharpshooters in the Navy. During the Civil War, they constituted nearly 200,000 soldiers of the Union Army and played a crucial role in some of the war's most celebrated regiments and toughest battles. Their service inspired the Union's emancipation policies, which had far-reaching consequences for the country.

In the decades after the Civil War, Black soldiers continued to serve in the U.S. Army, participating in the Indian Wars of the 1870s, the Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II. In World War I, the segregated 92nd and 93rd Divisions fought bravely and received the Croix de Guerre from France. In World War II, more than one million Blacks served the United States, with over a hundred thousand assigned to combat duty. They served in various combat units and units that kept the American war effort supplied.

While Truman integrated the military during the Korean War, African-American soldiers remained a class apart. Their experiences and contributions to the military have been largely ignored, but their story is important not only for military history but for American history as a whole. It is essential to recognize and honor the sacrifices and contributions of African Americans to the United States military and to work towards creating a more inclusive and equitable military for all.

Weight: 706g
Dimension: 161 x 236 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780811772341