Today's post was written by David R. Hardin, archivist at the National Archives at St. Louis Veteran's Administration Hospital, Tuskegee, AL (NAID 102252457) On February 12th, 1923, Veteran’s Hospital #91 opened in Tuskegee, Alabama. Initially the hospital’s focus was treating service-related respiratory and mental health issues of African American veterans. However, the hospital would grow … Continue reading The Trials and Triumphs of Dr. Joseph H. Ward
First Lieutenant James R. Europe and the 369th Infantry Regiment Band playing for patients in the American Red Cross Hospital No. 9, Paris, France, September 4, 1918. (NAID: 55200536 Local Identifier: 111-SC-20417) The musical career of American jazz bandleader, composer, and arranger James Reese Europe (1881-1919) was as influential and unique as it was tragically … Continue reading James Reese Europe: America’s Jazz Ambassador
This is the final post in a series about the 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps and their missions to test the effectiveness of bicycles for military use. Voyage to St. Louis (final leg), July 16-24, 1897, ~1900 miles (3058 km) For the 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps, the roads across Missouri were bad and hilly, and with … Continue reading Iron Riders, The 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps, Part IV
This is the third post in a series about the 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps and their missions to test the effectiveness of bicycles for military use. As noted previously, the Secretary of War on May 4 approved the long distance bicycle trip by the 25th Infantry Regiment. The following day, May 5, General Miles left Washington, … Continue reading Iron Riders, The 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps, Part III
This is the second post in a series about the 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps and their missions to test the effectiveness of bicycles for military use. In July 1896, Moss organized at Fort Missoula, from Companies B, F, and H, a bicycle corps to thoroughly test the practicability of the bicycle for military purposes … Continue reading Iron Riders, The 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps, Part II
Joy is defined as an emotion of great delight or happiness that is often caused by a positive or an extraordinary experience. Joy can be good for one’s health and wellness. Scientists and psychologists have studied the effects of joy on people, and determined that joy can prevent stress, improve heart health, reduce pain, and … Continue reading Experiencing Black Joy through Federal Records
This is the first post in a series about the 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps and their missions to test the effectiveness of bicycles for military use. On November 3, 1917 United States Army Colonel James Alfred Moss, at Camp Upton, New York, took command of the newly organized 367th Infantry Regiment, a unit of … Continue reading Iron Riders – The 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps, Part I
During the Civil War, approximately 17,000 men of African heritage served in the Union Navy. As noted by historian Joseph P. Reidy, this number represented approximately 20 percent of the enlisted men in the U.S. Navy at that time, which was “nearly double the proportion of black soldiers who served in the U.S. Army during … Continue reading African American Seamen of the Antebellum Era: Using Seamen’s Protection Certificates to Document Early Black Mariners
“If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.” ~Colin Powell On October 18, 2021, four-star general, diplomat, and statesman Colin L. Powell passed away at the age of 84, at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center … Continue reading From the Battlefield to the World’s Stage: A Tribute to General Colin L. Powell
Today's post was written by Holly Rivet, archival technician at the National Archives in St. Louis. Allen Allensworth, nd (from findagrave) Allensworth, California was the first city to be established as an African American enclave in California. It was officially founded on August 3, 1908 by Colonel Allen Allensworth, Chaplain to the 24th Infantry, a … Continue reading Westerly Winds and Big Skies, Finding Colonel Allen Allensworth at the National Archives
