By: Jessica Morgan, Hope Marchesseault, and Tyler Michaud.

Buffalo SoldiersWestward Expansion Unit

Who are the Buffalo Soldiers?

• The Buffalo Soldiers are African American former slaves, who were sent to the west to fight Indians, and protect settlers, cattle herds, and railroad crews. They were the first to serve during the peacetime.

• The 10th cavalry was a unit of the United States Army, which was formed as a segregated African American unit, and later on congress adopted legislation and were able to create four peacetime army units which consisted of only African Americans. These units were known as Buffalo Soldiers.

When did they come into existence?

• Buffalo Soldiers formed in New Orleans around 1815, to repel the British Invaders. With them, was Andrew Jackson. The reason to repel the British Soldiers, was to gain independence. Their first ‘real’ event was participating in the American Civil War.

What did they do?• The Buffalo Soldiers had duties of sorting mail

and stage coaches. Along with building roads, constructing telegraph lines and patrolling the borders. They escorted and guarded cattle drives, railroad crews and surveyors. They played a major part in building the American West and making it safe for the Westward Expansion.

• They also conducted campaigns against American Indian tribes on a west frontier which extended from Montana in the Northwest, to Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona in the Southwest.

August 18th, 1867 and September 19th, 1867

• August 18, 1867: Location was Fort Arbuckle, Kansas. 200 Indians attacked Pacific Railroad workers. After two hours, they were joined with 200 more warriors. Within six hours, there were seven workers, and two Buffalo Soldiers dead.

• September 19, 1867: Sergeant Davis and Troop G engaged into a fight. Soon, they were surrounded by Indians. They started running low on ammunition, so Sergeant Davis and his men broke out of their positions and drove the Indians off. Private Randall and two citizens were wounded and two settlers were killed prior to the attack.

Buffalo Soldiers’ rights/racial discrimination

• Even though Buffalo Soldiers were helping Americans, they had no rights.

• Also, they were very loyal to the U.S. government, but they faced a great deal of discrimination while helping in the Indian wars.

Buffalo Soldiers’ rights/racial discrimination

cont.

• The whites were very hostile towards these men, and the black soldiers were always last in getting equipment and such. Whites got to chose out of all the guns and horses, and they got the best ones, and the Buffalo soldiers were stuck with old rifles, and old, warn out, female horses. Also, horribly enough, they were often forced to live in substandard housing infested with bugs and rodents.

What is ironic about them?

• ‘Ironically’, Buffalo Soldiers were charged to protect white settlers, but in return, they were repeatedly hostile toward the Buffalo Soldiers. Their revulsion (hatred) of them was revealed in forms of violence often times.

Bob Marley’s “Buffalo Soldier”

• “Buffalo Soldier” is a song by Bob Marley. In his lyrics, he talks about African American slaves that were brought over from Africa to fight in our wars. They were manipulated to fight for us, and they still didn’t get any freedom. Once they were done fighting for America, they would most likely go back to Africa to be slaves again.

“Buffalo Soldiers”

• The reason for their name is because of their dark, strange, abnormal hair, which was so similar to a buffalo. Buffalo Soldiers wore the name with pride and valor. It also was a sign of respect; “the Indians felt that like the mighty buffalo, the Buffalo Soldiers fought ferociously to the end. Their motto became “Ready and Forward.””

• The Buffalo Soldiers participated in, the Spanish- American War, the Philippine Insurrection, the Mexican War, World War 1, World War 2, and the Korean War.

Work Cited

• http://www.louisdiggs.com/buffalo/history.html• http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h2586.html• http://www.ushist.com/buffalo-soldiers.shtml• http://articles.usa-people-search.com/content-the-buffalo-soldiers-of-the-american-west.aspx • http://www.buffalosoldier.net/ • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10th_Cavalry_Regiment_(United_States)• http://www.dosomething.org/blog/chatterbox/change-makers-black-history-buffalo-soldiers

Work Cited (Pictures)

• http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1049&bih=706&tbm=isch&tbnid=uzzE8BC0hQjrcM:&imgrefurl=http://www.discoverseaz.com/History/BufSold.html&docid=XnDmPs4kX2EoCM&imgurl=http://www.discoverseaz.com/Graphics/History/BufSold_Riding.jpg&w=400&h=253&ei=oyYoT4CKCenV0QGqq4nIAg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=103&vpy=222&dur=341&hovh=178&hovw=282&tx=216&ty=65&sig=110040461484787234669&page=1&tbnh=139&tbnw=207&start=0&ndsp=13&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0

• http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1049&bih=706&tbm=isch&tbnid=0YOF3DAFB5dizM:&imgrefurl=http://www.buffalosoldiers-lawtonftsill.org/history.htm&docid=DBCbrTonSLzkJM&imgurl=http://www.buffalosoldiers-lawtonftsill.org/images/bs_bjork.gif&w=640&h=447&ei=oyYoT4CKCenV0QGqq4nIAg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=547&vpy=217&dur=4283&hovh=188&hovw=269&tx=134&ty=81&sig=110040461484787234669&page=1&tbnh=139&tbnw=199&start=0&ndsp=13&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0

• http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1049&bih=706&tbm=isch&tbnid=Ti6WLJ4EoX3meM:&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_Soldier&docid=oTAWCvStGGRa8M&imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Liberators_of_Cuba.jpg/220px-Liberators_of_Cuba.jpg&w=220&h=226&ei=oyYoT4CKCenV0QGqq4nIAg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=516&sig=110040461484787234669&page=1&tbnh=161&tbnw=157&start=0&ndsp=13&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0&tx=109&ty=81

• http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1049&bih=706&tbm=isch&tbnid=OLMzd9ua8XUgKM:&imgrefurl=http://www.discoverseaz.com/History/BufSold.html&docid=XnDmPs4kX2EoCM&imgurl=http://www.discoverseaz.com/Graphics/History/BufSold_Trail.jpg&w=248&h=321&ei=oyYoT4CKCenV0QGqq4nIAg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=821&vpy=53&dur=368&hovh=213&hovw=165&tx=142&ty=122&sig=110040461484787234669&page=1&tbnh=161&tbnw=125&start=0&ndsp=13&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0

• http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1049&bih=706&tbm=isch&tbnid=u-uB0r9MgqsG3M:&imgrefurl=http://rentschlerlibrary.wordpress.com/2011/02/22/buffalo-soldiers-more-than-a-great-reggae-song/&docid=YqBHvLsn16dInM&imgurl=http://rentschlerlibrary.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/buffalo.jpg&w=525&h=379&ei=oyYoT4CKCenV0QGqq4nIAg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=106&vpy=376&dur=589&hovh=191&hovw=264&tx=178&ty=108&sig=110040461484787234669&page=2&tbnh=146&tbnw=204&start=13&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:13

• http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1049&bih=706&tbm=isch&tbnid=g8kAL3a5MKLE_M:&imgrefurl=http://www.operationmorningstar.org/Black_%2520Buffalo_Soldiers_Receive_17_Congressional_Medals_of_Honor_for_Murdering_American_Indians.htm&docid=sWGGl-UzVDqH_M&imgurl=http://www.operationmorningstar.org/wildbuff.jpg&w=450&h=304&ei=oyYoT4CKCenV0QGqq4nIAg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=737&vpy=34&dur=434&hovh=184&hovw=273&tx=148&ty=86&sig=110040461484787234669&page=2&tbnh=146&tbnw=203&start=13&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:13