Buffalo Soldiers | Suffering in Silence | 4
American History Tellers
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Breaking Barriers: The First Black Cadets at West Point
This chapter explores the struggles faced by the first Black cadets, James Webster Smith and Michael Howard, at West Point in the 1870s, including the discrimination and isolation that hindered their educational journeys. It highlights significant moments such as Henry Ossian Flipper's groundbreaking graduation in 1877, set against a backdrop of racism and societal resistance to integration. The narrative also examines the broader implications of these cadets' experiences within the changing dynamics of higher education in post-Civil War America.
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