Follow the adventure of the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps as they undertake a 1900-mile journey in 1897 to test modified bicycles for military use. Learn about the challenges faced by the soldiers, including harsh weather conditions, limited water supply, and encounters with both hospitality and racism along the way. Discover the advantages of bicycles over horses in certain military operations and the eventual disbandment of the Corps after their service in the Spanish-American War.
The 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps, also known as the Iron Riders, was part of the segregated U.S. Army units that came to be known as the Buffalo Soldiers.
Research:
- Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Brownsville Affair". Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/event/Brownsville-Affair.
- Missouri State Parks. “Iron Riders: the Story of the 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps.” https://mostateparks.com/ironriders
- Kindy, David. “The Black Buffalo Soldiers Who Biked Across the American West.” Smithsonian. 6/14/2022. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-black-buffalo-soldiers-who-biked-across-the-american-west-180980246/
- Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. “Many Lenses: Buffalo Soldiers Legend and Legacy.” https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/buffalo-soldiers
- Missoula Community Access Television. “Buffalo Soldiers: The 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps.” 2/15/2023. https://archive.org/details/Buffalo_Soldiers_-_The_25th_Infantry_Regiment_Bicycle_Corps
- Tate, Stephen T. “Human Powered Vehicles in Support of Light Infantry Operations.” Master of Military Art and Science Thesis. 1975. https://archive.org/details/DTIC_ADA211795/mode/1up
- Bradsher, Greg. “Iron Riders – The 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps, Part I.” National Archives: Rediscovering Black History. 2/7/2022. https://rediscovering-black-history.blogs.archives.gov/2022/02/07/iron-riders-25th-infantry-regiment-part-i/
- Bradsher, Greg. “Iron Riders – The 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps, Part 2.” National Archives: Rediscovering Black History. 2/17/2022. https://rediscovering-black-history.blogs.archives.gov/2022/02/17/iron-riders-25th-infantry-regiment-part-ii/
- Bradsher, Greg. “Iron Riders – The 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps, Part 3.” National Archives: Rediscovering Black History. 2/22/2022. https://rediscovering-black-history.blogs.archives.gov/2022/02/22/iron-riders-25th-infantry-part-iii/
- Bradsher, Greg. “Iron Riders – The 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps, Part 4.” National Archives: Rediscovering Black History. 3/1/2022. https://rediscovering-black-history.blogs.archives.gov/2022/03/01/iron-riders-25th-infantry-part-iv/
- Fort Missoula Museum. “25th Infantry Bicycle Corps.” https://fortmissoulamuseum.org/exhibit/25th-infantry-bicycle-corps/
- Montana History Portal. “Bicycles for the Army: The 25th Infantry in Montana.” https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/90296
- Langellier, John P. “Buffalo Soldiers in Big Sky Country, 1888–1898.” Montana The Magazine of Western History, Autumn 2017, Vol. 67, No. 3 (Autumn 2017). https://www.jstor.org/stable/26322890
- Koelle, Alexandra V. “Pedaling on the Periphery: The African American Twenty-fifth Infantry Bicycle Corps and the Roads of American Expansion.” Western Historical Quarterly , Vol. 41, No. 3 (Autumn 2010). https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/westhistquar.41.3.0305
- Hosler, Roderick A. “Hell on Two Wheels: The 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps.” On Point , Fall 2010, Vol. 16, No. 2 (Fall 2010). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26361477
- Weigle, John. “Native American decries ‘Buffalo Soldier’ Stamp.” Ventura County Star. 6/11/1994.
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