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African Americans have fought to preserve the rights for Americans, as well as having to fight the war within their very own country to gain the right to fight for their country and their individual freedom. Approximately sixteen months after the end of the Civil War, an Act of Congress entitled the Buffalo Soldiers “An Act to increase and fix the Military Peace Establishment of the United States”. Which authorized the formation of tow regiments of cavalry to be composed of colored men. This act was approved on July 28th, 1866. On September 21st, 1866, the 9th cavalry regiment was activated in Greenville, LA, along with the 10th cavalry regiment, which was activated at Fort Leavenworth, KS. Even though the African American soldiers clearly distinguished themselves as soldiers, they were by no means wanted in the army. Shortly after General Washington took command of the Army, the white colonists decided that not only should no black slaves or freemen be enlisted, but that those already serving in the Army should be dismissed. The colonists didn’t enjoy the black soldiers in the army because they felt that blacks weren’t smart enough and as well trained to handle themselves in battle. In turn, would only be taking up space and food for the other soldiers who they felt were more equipped to fight with the army in major battles. The colonists would probably have kept Blacks out of the military during the war if it were not for the proclamation by the Lord of Dunmore. His statement was, "I do hereby... declare all... Negroes... free, that are able and willing to bear arms, they joining his Majesty's troops, as soon as may be, for the more speedily reducing this colony to a proper dignity." This meant that any black soldiers willing to fight for the British would be declared legally free. Therefore, the Americans couldn't afford to deny Black Americans, free or not, from joining the army. Less than a month after Lord Dunmore’s proclamation, General George Washington officially reversed his policy about letting "free Negroes to enlist." Of the 300,000 soldiers who served in the Continental Army during the War of Independence, approximately five thousand were Black. Some volunteered. Others were drafted. In addition to several all black regiments, an all black regiment was recruited from Rhode Island. This regiment distinguished itself in the Battle of Rhode Island on August 29, 1778. Between 1775 to 1781 there weren't any battles without blacks being involved in some way or another. Black soldiers fought for the colonies at Lexington, Concord, White Plains, Brandywine, Saratoga, Savannah, and Yorktown. There were two Blacks by the name of, Prince Whipple and Oliver Cromwell, with Washington when he crossed the Delaware River on Christmas Day in 1776. Some won recognition and a place in the history of the War of Independence by their outstanding service, although most have remained anonymous. Unfortunately despite African Americans contributions in the war effort and the large amount of dead Blacks, only very few had gained their freedom. The War for Independence was just the first of a list of wars African Americans would have a chance to be involved in. The second American war fought with the assistance of African Americans help was the War of 1812. As Martin Delany put it, the African American were "as ready and as willing to volunteer in your service as any other ”. Black soldiers fought the British on land and sea, and they were particularly conspicuous in several different naval battles fought on the Great Lakes under the command of Oliver H. Perry. At least one-tenth of the crews on the fleet on the lake region were African American. Captain Perry, like Washington, disagreed with the involvement of Blacks to his naval ships. But after the Battle of Lake Erie, Captain Perry was in praise of the African American who he felt were insensible to danger. After the Battle of Lake Erie the New York legislature authorized the forming of two Black regiments which were formed in Kansas and Louisiana. The mobilization for New Orleans was very significant because it was then on September 21,1814, three months before the Battle of New Orleans, that General Andrew Jackson issued his proclamation "To the Free Colored Inhabitants of Louisiana." In that proclamation, Jackson, who needed to strengthen his forces, called upon the free Blacks of Louisiana, which of course had to be a slave state, to answer the appeal of their country. In the appeal he confessed that the policy of the United States in bareing Negroes from the service had been a mistaken one. The United States won the War of 1812. The slaves who had been enlisted by their masters in the American army found themselves re-enslaved after the war was over and the United States had no further needs of their military services. The black slaves then found themselves as a servant to the White masters for a second time until the Civil War. The third and most important war Black Americans fought in was Civil War. Though this war eventually resulted in the ending of slavery it began between Northern industrialists and Southern Slave owners to determine who would have more power over the federal government and who would be able to expand into the new territories in the West. When the Civil War began, blacks weren't allowed to fight in the Union army. Unfortunately, Abraham Lincoln was more concerned with political relations than the treatment of African American slaves. The federal government and the Union army only began to adopt a policy of allowing and even encouraging the recruitment of Blacks. Then, it became clear that the war would be a long and drawn out conflict in which it was necessary to mobilize all the resources possible and to weaken the enemy as much as possible. Even then Black troops weren't really used. In July of 1862, Congress authorized the use of black soldiers in the Civil War, but there was no follow-up of that order until January 1, 1863 when Abraham Lincoln put the Emancipation Proclamation into effect. It was never known for sure why the black soldiers were thought as Buffalo Soldiers, but some say that the Indians saw a resemblance between the black man’s hair and the mane of a buffalo. Others thought that when a buffalo was wounded or cornered, it fought ferociously displaying unusual stamina and courage. The Indians felt their fighting spirit in was equivalent to the buffalo, which to them is an animal held in high regard. Bibliography: www.yahoo.com www.google.com Word Count: 1155
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