Men of Color to Arms Black Soldiers, Indian Wars, and the Quest for Equality [Hardcover]

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 Uniononly to find the path to equality would not be so straightforward.Historians have written important books on the role of blacks at West Point and in the late 19th century military, but no one has written as succinct and insightful an overview as Elizabeth Leonard. Her thorough research, excellent organization, and lucid prose make this publication worthy of a wide audience.Ms. Leonard did a masterful job of extracting from the best primary and secondary sources available on frontier military history. The work is an excellent starting place for those not familiar with the service of blacks in the frontier army.The story of the black soldiers who helped save the Union, conquer the West, and build the nation.