Integration of the U.S. Armed Forces

Use this activity while teaching the history of the military, civil rights, or post-WWII societal changes. For grades 6-8. Approximate time needed is 20-30 minutes.

Begin by providing students with a vocabulary list of key terms and collectively defining them: segregation, integration, desegregation, Executive Order, civil rights movement, and infantry.

Quickly show all the documents included in the activity to the class. Explain that, as a class, they will come up with relationships between the documents. This approach provides students with the overall historical narrative and will assist them in establishing connections between documents. Instruct students to click on “View Document Details” for each document or image for further information.

Model careful document analysis with the each document in the sequence.

Direct your students to examine the first two photographs including the information available by clicking on “View Primary Source Details.” Answers to the following questions should be entered into the first blank text box.

• What connections can you find between the documents?
• When were the photos taken?
• What similarities or differences do you see between the documents or photographs?

Ask students to examine the next two photographs. Answers to these questions should be entered into the second blank text box.

• What connections can you find between the documents?
• When were the photos taken?
• What similarities or differences do you see between the documents or photographs?

Direct your students to examine the next four items.

• What changes do they see?
• Who or what do they think helped to cause this change?

This is one possible set of document relationships to share with students:

1. Photograph of the deck of the integrated crew of the gunboat “Mendota,” ca. 1860-65
2. Photograph of United States Colored Troops at Port Hudson, LA, 1864
   Relationship: African-Americans served in the U.S. Army & Navy during the Civil War. Black sailors served in integrated units; Black soldiers did not.
3. Photograph of African-American Infantrymen in France, ca.1917-19
4. Photograph of African-American Soldiers in Coburg, Germany April 1945
5. Photograph of Harry Truman during his service in World War I (World War One/WWI)
   Relationship: African-American soldiers also served during World Wars I & II, again in segregated units. Harry S. Truman served in a segregated unit during World War I. He became president and commander-in-chief of the military on April 12, 1945.
6. Letter from A. Philip Randolph to President Truman regarding racial segregation in the Armed Forces, 1947
7. Executive Order 9981: Desegregation of the Armed Forces (1948).
   Relationship: After World War II, African-American leaders such as A. Philip Randolph exerted increasing pressure on President Truman to desegregate the Armed Forces. On July 26, 1948, President Truman issued Executive Order 9981 desegregating the U.S. Armed Forces.
8. Photograph of President George H. W. Bush with troops in Saudi Arabia, 1990.

During the discussion, students will likely identify other possible connections between the documents. Explore each suggested connection to determine if it is supported by the evidence present in the document or photograph. For example, ask, “What specifically do you see in the document (or photograph) that leads you to that conclusion?”

If time permits, ask your students to construct an activity similar to this one but on another civil rights issue (such as school desegregation or voting rights).