The focus of this page is on specific groups serving in the military, but may also include their relationship to the military (for example, efforts to be allowed to serve, etc.).
The guide was originally based on specific topics of past student research. Many of the groups listed here need more research and we will be adding information as we can.
See also:
See also:
The focus of this resource is on specific groups serving in the military, but may also include their relationship to the military (for example, efforts to be allowed to serve, etc.).
Integration of the Armed Forces, 1940-1965 by 
Daughters of the Union Northern Women Fight The Civil War by 
The Women's Army Corps by The Connecticut State Library (CSL) has access to federal information, although we may not subscribe to resources listed in other libraries' guides.
When listed call numbers are in the SuDoc classification system, they will often translate to CSL collection. Call numbers listed in other systems may not apply to CSL.
The focus of this resource is on specific groups serving in the military but may also include their relationship to the military (for example, efforts to be allowed to serve, etc.).
This is only a few examples of our resources, based on previous History Day research. At this point, it does not address US military actions against Native Americans.
Much of the information will be in our secured collections. Contacting the History & Genealogy Unit is recommended.
Check our guide:
The focus of this resource is on specific groups serving in the military, but may also include their relationship to the military (for example, efforts to be allowed to serve, etc.).
Freedom by the Sword by
GPO summary: "Freedom by the Sword tells the story of the Colored Troops recruitment, organization, and service. The broad focus is on every theater of the Civil War and its concentration on what black soldiers actually contributed to Union victory. It examines the Colored Troops' formation, training, and operations during the entire span of their service, and in every theater of the war in which they served. Underscores the unique nature of their contributions both to Union victory and to their own liberation. CMH Pub 30-24-1. Army Historical Series."
Employment of Negro Troops
Reprint available online. Originally published: 1966. Part of United States Army in World War II series.
GPO summary: "CMH Pub. 11-4. This volume tells the import history of the service of African-American soldiers in the Army during World War II and the integration of the Army after the war. It covers problems in the development and application of policy with some attention to the results, both public and military."
Integration of the Armed Forces, 1940-1965 by 
The African-American Soldier by
LIBGUIDES: "- During the Revolutionary War, five thousand African Americans fought for America's freedom - During the Civil War, more than 200,000 black men rallied to preserve the Union and earn their place as free men - In the Indian Wars, four regiments of "Buffalo Soldiers" made the frontier safe for settlers - When called upon in the Spanish-American War, black soldiers battled side by side with white soldiers as they took back Cuba's San Juan Hill and Kettle Hill Chronicling the role African Americans played in the military history of the United States, The African-American Soldier portrays, war by war, the struggles of the courageous men and women who secured the right of black Americans to fight in the army, navy, marines, and air force for their country -- a country that provided them with nearly two centuries of discrimination and racism, barely acknowledging their human rights as citizens. While they had resoundingly defeated foreign enemies before World War I erupted, African Americans had yet to conquer racism at home, which kept them in segregated units and the lowest ranks. More than 400,000 blacks volunteered to serve; yet only about ten percent of those saw combat -- because they were not welcome on the field as equals. Throughout World War II and the Korean conflict, blacks had to protest at home before they were allowed to defend their country abroad. It was not until after the Vietnam War that they finally tasted the fruits of racial victory when the armed forces implemented and enforced its "equal opportunity plans", providing fair and equal training for all service members. By the time of Desert Storm, black soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines served in everyposition and every rank, including chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This account..."
Foxholes and Color Lines by
catalog: "Provides a history of racial integration in all branches of the U.S. armed forces, from Truman's Executive Order 9981 in 1948 through the Vietnam war. Reveals "the intense political conflict at the time and the strenuous opposition to racial integration."--Jacket."
The Right to Fight by
LIBGUIDES: "From the birth of the United States, African American men and women have fought and died in defence of a nation that has often denied them many fundamental rights of citizenship. Now Gerald Astor has chronicled their efforts and accomplishments in this critically acclaimed survey. From Crispus Attucks, the first casualty of the American Revolution, to fighters on both sides of the Civil War, Astor moves to the postwar Indian campaigns and the infamous Brownsville riot. He also documents the prejudices and grievous wrongs that have kept African Americans from service,and finally traces their ascent to the highest levels. The Right to Fight is a ground-breaking contribution to American history."
These are only some examples.
The focus of this resource is on specific groups serving in the military, but may also include their relationship to the military (for example, efforts to be allowed to serve, etc.).
Spanish speaking Americans in the war : the Southwest. by
Online access through our catalog.
Spanish and English.
Published anonymously. Written by Charles Olson and Ben Shahn (first book by Olson, who would later become a noted poet).
"[Ben] Shahn and [Charles] Olson collaborated in producing a bilingual pamphlet, Spanish Speaking Americans in the War. This was one of several OWI pamphlets meant to counter Axis propaganda encouraging minorities to question their stake in an American victory"--Daniel Belgrad, The Culture of Spontaneity: Improvisation and the Arts in Postwar America, 1998.
"Photos courtesy of Life Magazine; Denver News; U.S. Army; Office of War Information Bureau of Industrial Economics; Department of Agriculture.".
These are only a few examples.
Gays in Uniform
Ask and Tell by
LIBGUIDES: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was the directive of President Clinton's 1993 military policy regarding gay and lesbian soldiers. This official silence continued a collective amnesia about the patriotic service and courageous sacrifices of homosexual troops. Ask and Tell recovers these lost voices, offering a rich chronicle of the history of gay and lesbian service in the U.S. military from World War II to the Iraq War. Drawing on more than 50 interviews with gay and lesbian veterans, Steve Estes charts the evolution of policy toward homosexuals in the military over the past 65 years, uncovering the ways that silence about sexuality and military service has affected the identities of gay veterans. These veteran voices--harrowing, heroic, and on the record--reveal the extraordinary stories of ordinary Americans, men and women who simply did their duty and served their country in the face of homophobia, prejudice, and enemy fire. Far from undermining national security, unit cohesion, or troop morale, Estes demonstrates, these veterans strengthened the U.S. military in times of war and peace. He also examines challenges to the ban on homosexual service, placing them in the context of the wider movement for gay rights and gay liberation. Ask and Tell is an important compilation of unheard voices, offering Americans a new understanding of the value of all the men and women who serve and protect them."
The focus of this resource is on specific groups serving in the military, but may also include their relationship to the military.
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