The Transformative Impact Of African Americans During World War I

Before WORLD WAR I, military service represented a source of black pride. Black educators, clergymen, and the press frequently referred to Negro heroes of America’s past wars. After the Civil War, the U.S, Army maintained four regular Negro regiments –the 9th and 10th Calvary and the 24th and 25th Infantry. These units included veterans of the civil war and the frontier Indian fighting regiments. Retired sergeants often became respected, conservative leaders in their communities. This history set a foundation for black support and involvement in America’s future wars.

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new na-tion, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal,” a quote by America’s 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, directly recalling how equality was the catalyst for the conception of America. It’s a universal right that should be known by all, but it was barely an option in our country for the African American faction almost a century ago. Chained, chastised and condemned, the African American had to surpass through radical odds to get to a mediocre amount of respect. When World War I first began, many citizens of America saw it as a seemingly distant European conflict that they couldn’t be bothered with.

In the history of the United States, African Americans have always been discriminated against. When Africans first came to America, they were taken against their will and forced to work as laborers. They became slaves to the rich, greedy, lazy Americans. They were given no pay and often badly whipped and beaten. African Americans fought for their freedom, and up until the Civil War it was never given to them. When the Civil War began, they wanted to take part in fighting to free all slaves. Their opportunity to be soldiers and fight along side white men equally did not come easily, but eventually African Americans proved themselves able to withstand the heat of battle and fight as true American heroes.

Following the victory of Allied forces from World War I, black troops were sent home to a whole other war for Democracy. African Americans still faced many

This paper will go on to describe the direct impact of the Great War on all African American migration, military service, and political protest. These three things would have combined to make the years of the Great War a major impact on African American history. When war first erupted in Europe in August of 1914, most Americans - African Americans included - did not see a reason for the United States to get involved, many viewing the bloodshed as petty in the activities of their everyday lives. This belief of neutrality amongst the people would only grow stronger as stalemates ensued, and death rates climbed higher. As the war raged on, the Black press would aim its papers to side with the French, because of their continued commitment for racial equality, as well as, their employment of African soldiers in their military. When the United States entered the war, it would have a great impact on many African Americans, particularly the many men, women, and children who embarked on the Great Migration - the largest movement of people in American history.

African-Americans are essentially second-class citizens. Moreover, at the outbreak of World War I America was a segregated society with African-Americans facing discrimination and brutalities of every kind. Even in the face of repugnant treatment, many African-Americans saw the outbreak of war as an opportunity to win the respect of both their country and their white neighbors.

Throughout American history many minority groups have experienced discrimination. One of these groups was the Japanese-Americans, especially during World War II. In this essay, I will be focusing on a segregated Japanese-American combat unit known as the 442nd Infantry to highlight the discrimination suffered by Japanese-American soldiers.

They were willing to put their lives on the line for their country. African Americans assumed that after being viewed as equals this would lead to more freedom in their daily lives. (Document 3) This was not the case though. Many wanted this and so they started the Double V Campaign. Double V stood for Double Victory. Their goal was to achieve a victory abroad and a victory at home. Those at war saw that this was not as easy as they wanted it to be. Corporal Rupert Trimmingham wrote about the treatment of African Americans compared to the treatment of enemies of the country. (Document 5) This showed that even the Germans were being treated better than them as they were American soldiers. This did not lead to opportunities or freedoms for them. It just showed that they had more battles to win and considering equal soldiers was one of

About 180,000 African American people comprised 163 units that served in the Union Army, during the time of the Civil War, and many more African American people had served in the Union Navy. Both the free African-Americans and the runaway slaves had joined the fight. On the date of July 17, in the year of 1862, the U. S. Congress had passed two very important acts that would allow the enlistment of many African Americans, but the official enrollment had occurred only after the September, 1862, issuance of the, Emancipation Proclamation. In general, most white soldiers and officers, had believed that most of the black men, who had served in the Civil War, lacked the courage, and the will to fight

Another thing African Americas did during this time was participated in the war. This was part of the double victory blacks wanted. There were many testimonies on the front discussed in the documents of this chapter. The soldiers would write letters and tell their experiences to the others back home. A lot of soldiers would write to the well-known black newspapers like the Pittsburgh Courier, and Crisis. One of the letters to the Pittsburgh Courier from Private John S. Lyons elaborated on how deplorable the conditions were for black soldiers. “There is an instance of our present Commanding Officer throwing away a colored soldier’s discharge papers.”(Testimony from the front Private John S. Lyons) This was one of many incidents where African American soldiers were mistreated. Black soldiers were made to do strenuous work compared to the white soldiers. They were not given adequate amount of rest time between performing their duties. There were also, black women in the war that were continually discriminated against as well. Private First Class Gladys O. Thomas-Anderson went into great details on what she endured being a black woman serving in the military. She explained how she and others had to maintain their clothes as well as

World War 1 had a big effect on the life of blacks. McWhirter says that “the war’s end the previous November had opened a broader marked for cotton; mills across the world need[ed] it for civilian clothes.” African Americans were moving in large numbers from the South to the North and Midwest in what is part of the Great Migration. Blacks wanted to escape the racism of the South. They were trying to run away from poverty, physical violence, and segregation. The war brought many job openings in the North, a great opportunity for the blacks to start a new life. Mcwhirter states that this led to “returning veterans had trouble finding jobs, since few factories were hiring and southern black migrants had filled many jobs.” So as African Americans migrated to the North, they began to fill empty jobs in the factory and railroad industries. White supremacists saw the increased competition for jobs, and resented the blacks for taking them. In fact, white

In the first part of the war it started out for freedom, and protecting the image and heritage that both sides felt made for a good life, the best way. They fought because they no longer could agree to disagree on the way things should be, and this was partially because the west and free labor VS. slavery. It was also partially out of fear. Fear that if they didn’t act, they would loose their liberties and freedoms. They felt that had to take action and they had to take action now. And then towards the end of this war we also see African Americans fight in the war. Which to me makes since. This war was about freedom, so after many centuries of not having them, they fact they were being allowed to contribute and in some way make a turning point

Throughout American history, African Americans have had to decide whether they belonged in the United States or if they should go elsewhere. Slavery no doubtfully had a great impact upon their decisions. However, despite their troubles African Americans made a grand contribution and a great impact on both armed forces of the Colonies and British. "The American Negro was a participant as well as a symbol."; (Quarles 7) African Americans were active on and off the battlefield, they personified the goal freedom, the reason for the war being fought by the Colonies and British. The African Americans were stuck in the middle of a war between white people. Their loyalty was not to one side or another, but to a principle, the principle of liberty.

The predicament of the African American soldiers in the civil war depicts an agonizing tale of discrimination and slavery. African American soldiers would claim a significantly minimal recognition in the civil war. Despite their potent and willingness to take part in the war, the soldiers were reduced to a minimum role and limited participation. Before the start of the Civil war, President Abraham Lincoln had a firm stance on the restriction and obstruction of black volunteers to be recruited in the army. The prodigy of the African American emancipation declaration by the president was a temporal and limited absorption into army actions on the onset of the civil .

As a whole the African American community became fed up with the way they were treated. Here was a race that was "free and equal" but continuously discriminated against. The Great Depression hit the African Community hard and this was evident with the lack of action and government involvement under the control of President Hoover. The work done with FDRs New Deal was all but voided by Hoover, and this was expressed in the reading which stated, "Hoover's reluctance to use the federal government to intervene in the economy extended to the provisions of relief" (Odyssey P479). All of this rolled over into the service during World War II and the continuous poor treatment of indiviuals who wanted to fight for a country even though they weren't