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 Engage the Students
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Read President Clinton's speech commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the integration of the armed forces. Print Version
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On July 26, 1948, with the stroke of a pen, President Harry Truman changed the course of American history. By signing Executive Order 9981, "Establishing the President's Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services," he officially declared "there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin." His action reflected the growing realization by more and more Americans that our Nation could no longer reconcile segregation with the values we had fought a war to uphold.
The United States had emerged from World War II with a new understanding of the importance of racial and ethnic diversity to our Nation's strength and unity. Nazi racism and the horrors of the concentration camps shocked Americans and revealed the true dangers of prejudice and discrimination. Hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens from many different ethnic and racial backgrounds served and sacrificed in the war. The valor of segregated African American soldiers – from the Tuskegee Airmen and the 761st Tank Battalion to individuals like General Benjamin O. Davis and General Daniel "Chappie" James – could not be ignored. These heroes risked their lives for our country overseas, and yet still faced discrimination here at home. By signing Executive Order 9981, President Truman set America on the path to right this wrong.
We have come a long way in the subsequent 50 years, and the United States Armed Forces have been in the vanguard of our crusade to abolish discrimination in our society. Today our men and women in uniform represent so many aspects of the diversity that has made our Nation great, and they have proved that different people, sharing the same values, can work together as a mighty force for peace and freedom at home and around the world. We still have much to accomplish in our journey to become a society that respects our differences, celebrates our diversity, and unites around our shared values, but we should proudly mark the milestones on that journey and rejoice in the progress we have made thus far.
President Bill Clinton, July 26, 1998
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- Why did President Truman order the U.S. Armed Forces to be integrated?
- What might President Clinton be referring to when he says that "we still have much to accomplish in our journey to become a society that respects our differences…"?
Narrative: Read the narrative to the class stressing the focus question at the end. Print Version
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From the time Africans first set foot on American soil, most of them were prevented from becoming members of mainstream society. In Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857) the Supreme Court even declared that African Americans were not citizens of the United States. It wasn't until segregated units were created in 1862 that they were allowed to enlist in the U.S. Army. As a result of the Civil War, the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution were adopted. These amendments advanced the cause of the freed slaves; ending slavery, making African Americans citizens of the US, prohibiting states from denying equal protection, and prohibiting racial discrimination in voting. These advances, however, were short lived.
By 1877, the Democratic Party had regained the South, and was once again implementing policies to deny African Americans their rights. A variety of measures were used to deny voting privileges to African Americans including, poll taxes, literacy tests and even violence. In addition, a segregated society was created which made sure that whites were totally separated from African Americans in all phases of life, including public accommodation and schools. The federal government did nothing to stop this segregation. In Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of segregated railroad cars. Encouraged, Southern legislators carried their measures to extremes with the creation of "Jim Crow" laws. These actions included passing legislation that required separate drinking fountains and waiting rooms and prohibited interracial marriage. By World War Two, the South, and some parts of the North, had once again become fully segregated.
After 1869, segregation was also the norm in the United States Armed Forces. This policy remained intact through the Spanish American War and World War One but was seriously challenged during World War Two. The NAACP and other African American leaders pointed out the hypocrisy of African Americans, who themselves were victims of racism, fighting against similar policies in Nazi Germany. Military necessity also helped break down racial barriers. Due to a lack of fighting men, African American troops were asked to fight alongside white troops beginning with the Battle of the Bulge. Despite the fact that they served in separate platoons, this experience displayed the abilities of African American soldiers and helped encourage the Army to break with their segregationist policies.
In 1948, President Truman issued Executive Order 9981, directing the US Armed Forces to desegregate as quickly as possible. By the end of the Korean War in 1953, the US Military was almost completely integrated. |
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Focus Question: How was Truman's executive order to desegregate the United States Armed Forces a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement?
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Conduct the Investigation
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In order to answer the focus question you will first examine several documents independently. Analyze each document and answer the following questions on your "Individual - Document Analysis" graphic organizer.
- How do I know this information is reliable?
- When was this document written? Who wrote it? What was its purpose?
- Explain the author's point of view.
- How can this document help me answer the focus question?
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Discussion
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Now that the documents have been analyzed, you will have the opportunity to discuss the documents and the focus question with the students in your group. As you discuss interpretations of the documents, cite evidence for your opinions. Multiple interpretations can emerge and may or may not be accepted by all. Write your group responses in the appropriate section of your graphic organizer.
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Report the Findings
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Once historians complete their research, they formulate a thesis that answers the focus question. You will do the same. Your summary should answer the focus question below and be supported with details from the documents.
Focus Question: How was Truman's executive order to desegregate the United States Armed Forces a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement?
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Primary Source Documents
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Executive Order 9981
American Veterans Committee
Letter to President Truman
Rosenberg Letter to Commissioner McGrath
South in Turmoil Over Sweatt Rule
Photo – Dallas, 1952
Brown v. Board of Education
Photo – Oklahoma City, 1959
Cartoon – Pittsburgh Courier
I Have a Dream
Civil Rights Act of 1964
"A Million New Negro Voters?" – U.S. News and World Report Article
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