In the spring of 1865, with the Civil War finally over, American lawmakers began to debate whether Black soldiers would have a permanent place in the peacetime Army. Some 180,000 Black men had fought in the Union ranks, but never before in the nation’s history had they been allowed regular status in the armed forces.
In the West, white settlers were clashing with Indian tribes who were determined to protect their land and lives from aggression. Soon, Congress would authorize six new Black Army regiments to support America’s westward expansion. Hundreds of Black men answered the call and set off for remote outposts on the frontier, searching for opportunities denied to them in civilian life. They became known as the first buffalo soldiers.
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