Before the establishment of the United States Coast Guard, there was the United States Life-Saving Service. The Life-Saving Service was responsible for operating stations in coastal regions, rescuing shipwreck victims and assisting those experiencing problems at sea. In 1880, Richard Etheridge became the first African American to command a lifesaving station when he was appointed […]
Did you know that Anthony Bowen founded the first YMCA for Black men? Bowen was born into slavery in Prince George’s County, Maryland in 1809. Though enslaved, he found the opportunity to work off the farm. He saved the money he earned and purchased his freedom. He continued working and saving until he was able
How well do students know Frederick Douglass? Do they know that he recruited troops to fight in the Civil War, including his sons Lewis and Charles? When the war broke out Douglass, who had already escaped from slavery, was living in Massachusetts. He was very active in the abolitionist movement and traveled on the lecture
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Alexander T Augusta was one of at least thirteen black civil war physicians. Because of his skin color Alexander T Augusta was not allowed to enroll in medical school in the United States. Unwilling to give up his dream, he moved to Canada in 1850 and enrolled in Trinity Medical College in Toronto. After receiving
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Do students know that Robert Smalls was hailed as a hero during the Civil War? Robert Smalls, who was born into slavery in South Carolina, was drafted for service in the Confederate Army. He was assigned to pilot a Confederate ship that was used to transport guns and ammunition. In May 1862 the black crew,
African Americans in World War I…who were they? If you’re teaching World War I, African American soldiers that made up the 369th Infantry Regiment should be included. During World War I several all-black units served and fought in Europe. The most famous of those units was the 369th, nicknamed the Harlem Hellfighters by the Germans.
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