The Black Soldier: 1492 To the Present

by Catherine Clinton

Black soldiers have fought and died in the Americas for centuries, forming a chain of warriors stretching back nearly 500 years. Yet their contribution to our nation’s history has been neglected, and the battles they’ve had to fight against racism and prejudice have often been as challenging as facing the enemy on the field of battle.
This exciting story of African-American heroism traces the history of the black soldier, from the African explorers who accompanied Columbus to African Americans who took up arms in the American Revolution, the Civil War, and Desert Storm. These tales of heroism show young readers that while black soldiers were once systematically ignored within the armed forces, earning little praise and often dying for a nation that granted them few rights, black men and women rose to the occasion and distinguished themselves with each successive opportunity to prove themselves in combat and in the ranks. Ultimately, the sacrifices of these valiant soldiers led to today’s fully integrated armed services.

Genres: African American

117 pages, Hardcover

First published September 25, 2000

About the author

Professor of history at Queen's University, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Specializes in American history, African-American history, the Civil War, and women's history. Previously taught at Brandeis and Harvard universities. Born in 1952, grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. Studied sociology and history at Harvard, earned a master's degree from Sussex and a doctorate from Princeton.

Reviews

[Melissa Gaston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this and found it very informative. I'm curious to see the progress now on racial issues since a major issue now is sexual harrasment within the military.

[Kaleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was another great history read for me. It wrote about many facts and feelings of the black slaves. Like I said before I love history and every time I read one of these books I get very excited and surprised to find out about other people's great lives. This book is also very similar to the Boston Massacre book because Boston did not get the same rights as the British. This book does not relate to me because I have never felt that I have more rights than anyone else. Everyone in this world should be treated equally because we are all humans in this world. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys learning about history and slavery like me.