US History

The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)

African Americans

This collection uses primary sources to explore the role of African American soldiers in World War I.

Teaching Guide: Exploring African American Soldiers in World War I

A photograph of African American soldiers with French children in France, ca. 1915-1920.

A photograph of an African American woman, Kathryn M. Johnson, in France posing with African American soldiers, ca. 1918-1920.

A photograph of African American soldiers in France, some playing board games, ca. 1914-1918.

A glass plate slide of African American soldiers in Georgia, ca. 1918.

An excerpt from a 1921 memoir by Horace Pippin that provides a 1918 journal entry from his time fighting in France.

A letter from First Lieutenant James W. Alston to H. H. Brimley on November 1, 1918 about being only black officer in a hotel in France. 

A letter from First Lieutenant James W. Alston to H. H. Brimley praising black soldiers, September 3, 1918.

A letter from First Lieutenant James W. Alston to H. H. Brimley on October 6, 1918 about being shot by a machine gun in the war.

An excerpt from *Complete History of the Colored Soldiers in the World War*, ca. 1919, discussing Sergeant Henry Johnson.

A 2004 proclamation from Spartanburg, SC, honoring the 369th regiment Harlem Hellfighters. 

An excerpt from *Colored Soldiers*, a 1923 work of fiction by W. Irwin MacIntyre about black soldiers during the war.

Resources

1. [Patriotic Labor: America during World War I](http://dp.la/exhibitions/exhibits/show/america-world-war-i) online exhibit, Digital Public Library of America.
2. “[African Americans in World War I](http://exhibitions.nypl.org/africanaage/essay-world-war-i.html),” by Chad Williams, Africana Age: African and African Diasporan Transformations in the 20th century, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library. 
3. “[World War I and Postwar Society](https://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aopart7.html),” African American Odyssey, Library of Congress. 
4. “[Teaching with Documents: Photographs of the 369th Infantry and African Americans during World War I](https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/369th-infantry/),” National Archives. 

Overview

African American soldiers are often rendered invisible in the traditional historical narrative of United States involvement in World War I. But hundreds of thousands of African Americans fought on the western front to make the world “safe for democracy,” in President Woodrow Wilson’s phrase. These soldiers came from a range of US locations—cities like New York or Washington, DC as well as the countryside of the Carolinas and the Deep South. They were sources of inspiration for many in the African American community, but evoked fear among some white Americans. This primary source set emphasizes the experiences of African American doughboys during the war while also highlighting how they were perceived by white Americans. Use the sources to determine how racism and patriotism shaped the experiences of the African American soldiers.

English

African American Soldiers in World War I

african-american-soldiers-world-war-i_10_07d31cd209b7f4feac87539297cde50b.jpg

Courtesy of Spartanburg County Public Libraries via South Carolina Digital Library.

City of Spartanburg, “Proclamation honoring 369th Regiment Harlem Hell Fighters,” Digital Public Library of America, https://dp.la/item/f172dd29278a68ef09146f111ba991aa.

 In 1917, upon hearing that black soldiers would be training in his city, the mayor of Spartanburg, J. F. Floyd said the following, “I was sorry to learn that the Fifteenth Regiment has been ordered here, for with their Northern ideas about race equality, they will probably expect to be treated like white men. I can say right here that they will not be treated as anything except Negroes. This thing is like waving a red flag in the face of a bull, something that can’t be done without trouble.” 

A 2004 proclamation from Spartanburg, SC, honoring the 369th regiment Harlem Hellfighters.

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Tips for Students

Item 10 of 11 in the Primary Source Set African American Soldiers in World War I