Away to Freedom: African American Soldiers and the War of 1812 (original) (raw)
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Is This the Fruit of Freedom?" Black Civil War Veterans in Tennessee
trace.tennessee.edu
My interest in black Civil War veterans began in a research seminar during my first semester of graduate work at Tennessee, and from the very start my advisor, Steve Ash, generously offered his time and expertise. His close reading of draft after draft (and the sacrifice of countless red pens) vastly improved the final product. Whatever progress I have made as a writer and historian is largely the result of his efforts. Throughout my time at Tennessee, Dan Feller was encouraging and enthusiastic; he, Kurt Piehler, and Asafa Jalata deserve special thanks for their service on my dissertation committee.
2018
The purpose of this paper is to explore the social, economic, and political benefits for African American females who cross-dressed to join both the Confederate and Union Armies during the American Civil War. The benefits gained by the African American women who disguised themselves as males improved their overall quality of life when compared to other African American women of their era. The improved quality of life for these disguised women was made available through the increased number of options granted to African American males in the social, economic, and political spheres that were denied to African American women. The results were increased status in all three spheres for the select group of women who were able to successfully disguise their gender through the end of the Civil War. The thesis before you would not have been possible without the assistance of many people. I would like to thank Dr. Joseph Edward Lee for his expert advice and encouragement throughout this challenging project. I would also like to thank Dr. Jason Silverman and Dr. Donald Rakestraw for their support as members of my thesis committee. I would like to thank Dr. Gregory Crider for his assistance in improving my thesis prospectus. I am grateful for the help provided to me by the by the staff during my time at the South Carolina State Archives. I am indebted to Winthrop University's Writing Center for the assistance that Payton Young and Josh Mangle provided in improving my thesis. Finally, I would like to thank my family who without their love and guidance I would not have been able to accomplish this task. I would like to thank my parents, Martha Jernigan and James P Jernigan III for their constant encouragement in my pursuit of education. Most importantly, I am grateful to my loving husband, Jonathon, and my wonderful daughter Ashlynn for providing continuous support and inspiration.
A Historic Context for the African American Military Experience
The purpose of this report is to recognize and highlight the contributions of African Americans to the military history of the United States. This is accomplished by providing a historic context on the African American military experience for use by Department of Defense (DoD) cultural resource managers. Managers can use this historic context, to recognize significant sites, buildings, and objects on DoD property related to African American military history by nominating them for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. In this manner, civilian and military personnel currently serving in all major services will be made aware of the contributions of African Americans to our military heritage. While the focus of this work is on all-black military units, significant individuals will be recognized also.
Three Generations, Three Wars: African American Veterans
The Gerontologist, 2016
This article emerged from pilot research exploring experiences of war and suffering among African American veterans who served in World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War. Men's experiences as soldiers reflected both racism and the social change that occurred in the Unites States while they served. We used techniques of narrative elicitation, conducting qualitative, ethnographic interviews with each of five veterans in his home. Interviews focused on unique and shared experiences as an African American man and a soldier. Three important themes emerged: (a) Expectations related to War--Although men viewed service to country as an expected part of life, they also expected equal treatment in war, which did not occur; (b) Suffering as an African American--Informants interpreted experiences of suffering in war as related to the lower status of African American servicemen; and (c) Perception of present identity--Each man was honed by the sum of his experiences, including those of com...
CIVIL RIGHTS PIONEERS: BUILDING RACE CONSCIOUSNESS IN THE WWII ARMED FORCES
Diasporas and Cultures of Mobilities, Vol 3, 2016
The black American ‘Citizen Soldiers’ who participated in the ‘Good War’ also form part of the ‘Greatest Generation,’ yet they are barely visible in the general histories of the Second World War (WWII). Most scholars agree that WWII was a watershed event that affected people all around the world yet African American soldiers are generally absent in the historiography of the era. Black military veterans were active participants in the panoply of the civil rights movement after the war, yet they are mostly missing in action in that narrative as well. Why have representations of WWII and the civil rights movement generally overlooked the multitude of black soldier’s experiences? How can we ‘save the black privates’ from obscurity? This work will highlight the agency of African American veterans who worked collectively and individually to fight racism during the war years of the 1940s, and also, were empowered to provide leadership and military skills as foot soldiers within the long civil rights movement.
After the glory: the struggles of Black Civil War veterans
The Journal of Military History, 2004
has written an important book that examines the lives of African-American Civil War veterans from the war's end to the turn of the 20th century. While the years of actual combat are receiving increasing scholarly attention, After the Glory addresses a significant void in the literature by presenting the first extended analysis of black veterans' postwar experiences. Shaffer makes extensive use of a wide range of sources, including published biographies, memoirs, early histories, scattered manuscript collections and Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) records, Works Progress Administration interviews with former slaves, and, most impressively, Civil War pension files housed at the National Archives. Using a random sample of over 1,000 pension claims from black veterans or their survivors to complement assorted published descriptions of veterans' lives, Shaffer constructs a collective biography that augments statistical data (much of which is presented in a brief Appendix) with the rich personal details that many of the pension files contain. While the book makes a valuable contribution, some of its emphases and interpretations are open to question.
Thank you for your cervix: Female veterans' enduring battle for public recognition after the war
2021
Dr. Dubisar, you have always been so supportive and encouraging. I would be lying if I did not say that I doubted my place in the Rhetoric Composition and Professional Communication Program (RCPC) on multiple occasions. Whenever I thought of withdrawing from the program and transferring elsewhere, I would think of you. Your laugh, energy, and your desire to see students be successful are contagious. I am forever grateful to have been one of your students. Dr. Brown, I do not know where to begin to express my gratitude. I remember sitting in your English 310 class as an undergraduate who knew nothing of ethos, pathos, and logos. But would soon realize that I had a deep interest in rhetoric and later that my heart is with public memory. You have helped me labor with the Deborah Sampson sculpture since I was an undergrad in English 418 through my Master's thesis. It seems odd that these paragraphs are closing my chapter at Iowa State. However, I will cherish my time in your classroom and take my memories with me as I turn the page forward to the next chapter. It was an honor to have you as an instructor. Dr. LaWare, you have labored with me through this thesis for two years now. You have seen me struggle through many emotional battles that this thesis has brought on for me. You have always offered a smile, a sense of calm, and never once tried to steer me in a different direction. You have taught me the importance of stepping back and taking a breath to absorb the rhetorical situation better. I will forever carry your smile and laugh with me; it was a pleasure to have studied under your instruction.
Island of Integration": Desegregation of the Women's Army Corps at Fort Lee, Virginia, 1948-1954
2020
Without you and your willingness to share your memories, stories, and pictures, this thesis would not exist. I am forever grateful, honored, and in your debt for trusting me with your memories. I hope that I've done you proud and conveyed your histories in an accurate and truthful way. I treasure you all. Thank you to Dr. Emilie Raymond for agreeing to guide me through this process as my thesis advisor. You have shared your expertise, endorsed my vision, and provided essential support and insight. Thank you for being a voice of reason and for being my main pillar of support throughout not only thesis writing, but during my time in the VCU History program as a whole. Thank you to Dr. Brian Daugherity for your support and kindness since my first days in the M.A. program. Thank you for agreeing to be one of my thesis readers and for your willingness to help me in whatever way I needed during this process. I appreciate your sharing your expertise and knowledge of Jim Crow and the Civil Rights era with me, and always keeping your office door ajar whenever I needed to pop in with a question or to talk. I am glad to have audited your graduate
The Experience and Effectiveness of African American Soldiers in WWII
2024
Over the past seventy nine years since the end of the Second World War, there have been numerous historical works created that discuss the events and impacts of the war on the world. These have covered a wide array of topics crucial to understanding how the world today was shaped by events almost one hundred years ago. However, much of this literature focuses on the actions of big players such as generals and leaders of a nation, or the direct sequence of events and consequences of the war. While these are important topics to analyze, as historians we miss the finer details and human elements that influence history if we focus too much on the bigger picture. We risk focusing solely on the accepted sequence of events and the narrative created by influential people at the time if we do not question why certain actions were focused on rather than others. Especially in the context of race relations within the army and the country as a whole during the period of WWII. Therefore I am going to examine one of the factors that greatly influenced not only the U.S. Army in WWII but the war effort as a whole, African American participation and effectiveness. I want to understand how African Americans were treated in the U.S. Army, and whether this affected their decision whether or not to serve. Were the preconceptions that white army leadership had about African American soldiers correct and proved right by the actions of African Americans in the war, or did the African American soldiers prove them wrong?
Recognition and Acceptance: An Examination of the Louisiana Volunteer Battalions on Line Jackson
2020
My sincere thanks to my professors at the University of New Orleans who gave so much of themselves to further my education in history. I know I tried their patience more than once. I owe a lot to Dr. Allan R. Millett for chairing my committee and giving so much of his time to help me write a better thesis. And to the other members of my advisory committee: Dr. Charles Chamberlain, for his advice on style and structure, and Dr. Robert Dupont for his support and encouragement throughout my graduate experience. Thank you each and every one for giving me of your time and experience to help ensure I have the communication skills needed to talk about history in the past tense. I would also be remiss if I failed to say thanks to Beverly Boyko, Archivist, and Rhett Breerwood, Historian, at Jackson Barracks for teaching me about archiving and small museum operations.