Fighting for Freedom

African Americans have participated in every war fought in and by the United States of America. From the black minuteman at Lexington and Concord to the black soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War, the history of African American military service is complicated and often tied to issues of identity and politics. This informative edition traces the history of blacks in the American military from the eighteenth century to the present. Readers will learn about the black soldiers who...
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African Americans have participated in every war fought in and by the United States of America. From the black minuteman at Lexington and Concord to the black soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War, the history of African American military service is complicated and often tied to issues of identity and politics. This informative edition traces the history of blacks in the American military from the eighteenth century to the present. Readers will learn about the black soldiers who fought in conflicts such as the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and Vietnam. The author also covers America's long history of segregation within the armed forces and how President Truman's executive order of 1948 ushered in a new era of integration for the U.S. military.