Men of Color to Arms! - Black Soldiers, Indian Wars, and the Quest for Equality (Signed First Edition, First Printing)

Leonard, Elizabeth D.

ISBN 10: 039306039X / ISBN 13: 9780393060393

Published by Norton, 2010

About this Item

Inscribed First Edition, First Printing of this study of the experience of African Americans as soldiers in the Union Army and int he United States Army in the 19th century. Examines the different roles of Africans Americans in military service from their addition to Union forces -- eventually in combat roles -- during the Civil War and ss the "buffalo soldiers" with the U.S. Army in the Indian Wars in the frontier West. Also looks at the results of military service in achieving -- or being frustrated -- an underlying of many African American -- equality and participation as citizens. Inscribed by Elizabeth D. Leonard to previous owners on the half title page. Appears unread, has light edgewear on the dust jacket.

Seller Inventory # 009964

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Men of Color to Arms! - Black Soldiers, Indian Wars, and the Quest for Equality (Signed First Edition, First Printing)
• Publisher: Norton
• Publication Date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 039306039X
• ISBN 13: 9780393060393
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)

About this title

Synopsis

The story of the black soldiers who helped save the Union, conquer the West, and build the nation.

In 1863, at the height of the Civil War, Frederick Douglass promised African Americans that serving in the military offered a sure path to freedom. Once a black man became a soldier, Douglass declared, “there is no power on earth or under the earth which can deny that he has earned the right to citizenship in the United States.” More than 180,000 black men heeded his call to defend the Union―only to find the path to equality would not be so straightforward.

In this sharply drawn history, Professor Elizabeth D. Leonard reveals the aspirations and achievements as well as the setbacks and disappointments of African American soldiers. Drawing on eye-opening firsthand accounts, she restores black soldiers to their place in the arc of American history, from the Civil War and its promise of freedom until the dawn of the 20th century and the full retrenchment of Jim Crow.

Along the way, Leonard offers a nuanced account of black soldiers’ involvement in the Indian Wars, their attempts to desegregate West Point and gain proper recognition for their service, and their experience of Reconstruction nationally, as blacks worked to secure their place in an ever-changing nation. With abundant primary research, enlivened by memorable characters and vivid descriptions of army life, Men of Color to Arms! is an illuminating portrait of a group of men whose contributions to American history need to be further recognized.

46 Illustrations

About the Author

Elizabeth D. Leonard is the John J. and Cornelia V. Gibson Professor of History at Colby College. The author of several books, including Yankee Women, All the Daring of a Soldier, Lincoln’s Avengers, and Men of Color to Arms!, she lives in Waterville, Maine.