Buffalo Soldiers: Purpose of Study and Literature Review (Research Paper Sample)

Buffalo Soldiers
Name
Institution
Introduction
Buffalo Soldiers comprised of a unit formed in 1866 during the civil war, comprising of African-American soldiers in the United States. They regularly engaged in Indian Wars and stood out as outstanding personalities in the American history. Buffalo soldiers majorly consisted of African American veterans who sacrificed their lives fighting for equity, education, and protection of vulnerable African American communities in the U.S. Among the members of this group was Captain Charles Young who graduated from the Unites States Military Academy as the first African-American soldier (Whalan, 2011). He later became a superintendent and served in Sequoia. The men in the Buffalo soldiers' fraternity were the only African American soldiers who took part during the civil war. However, this group often faced endless prejudice, violation, and racial discrimination from the whites. Their families encountered a lot of hostility and rejection. Moreover, the buffalo soldiers faced massive opposition from white civilians in areas where they operated. In 1899, during the racial wrangles in Texas, Buffalo Soldiers were attacked. Series of attacks later proceeded in 1906 and 1917 in Houston, resulting in weakening of Buffalo Soldiers (Tal, 2014).
Research Design
The study adopted historic design, also known as research design throughout the work. The design was important in determining why the Buffalo Soldiers conducted themselves the way they did and the consequences of their struggle for justice. This historical context explains about black regiments that led to the rise of Buffalo Soldiers who encountered segregation during and after American civil war. The design also serves to provide vast knowledge on what resulted in the extinction of Buffalo Soldiers and the legacy they left behind (Karvanen, 2008). More so, conducting research by use of this research design enabled the researcher to interpret past events before, during, and after the civil war and predict on similar future occurrences. The researcher synthesized all available data from a wide range of sources including article such on African American soldiers and sources from affected communities. The primary method used in the development of historical context was research on archives and national museums. Researchers used chronological parameters to define what was written and said about the Buffalo Soldiers. Additionally, scholarly articles from the African American history were used as sources of information recorded before the 1980s.
By using the design, key steps were followed. First, there was the formulation of ideas and redefining of research procedures. Second, there was the construction of a plan that aided on how the sources of information would be approached. Sources of the various places including communities, schools, and churches where Buffalo Soldiers encountered were listed down for the purpose of gathering information. Thirdly, historic design involved the collection of relevant data. The latter from abstracted from libraries, archival materials, and compiling any information that related to the research. Lastly, there was an analysis of the gathered data. The sources from which data was captured were analyzed. Buffalo Soldiers' diaries were crosschecked for correlation, and all the indicated activities were accounted. After all these significant steps had been conducted, there was a comprehensive view of what was known in response to the research. The study design presented various strengths. It provided a big picture of the life of the Buffalo Soldiers and their impacts on African American societies. Moreover, the design allowed the researchers acquire a broad understanding of all the sources from which crucial information on Buffalo Soldiers could be traced.
Purpose of Study
The study intended at examining the impacts of Buffalo Soldiers towards America's revolution and dominance during the civil war. Additionally, the paper aimed at exploring the African American quest for racial justice, better education, and good incorporation into the American governance. The research incorporated an authentic assessment of all the Buffalo Soldiers who served in American national government and vulnerable communities. Besides, the study included the identification of all criteria for enhancing historical research, education, and capacity building on the role of Buffalo Soldiers in American history. Moreover, there is an essence of recognizing the significant role Buffalo Soldiers played for the benefit of less educated and poor societies. Violence against these brave men negatively impacted on the liberty of many Americans, both black and white. Legislation that was put in place violated American's right to association, worship, and the freedom to live in any state in American land. The study purposes at determining the forces that resulted in the downfall and extinction of the Buffalo Soldiers and the possibilities of rebuilding back such kind of spirit today that would fight for unnoticed and minor communities. Buffalo Soldiers fought against segregation that had penetrated into schools, churches, and in the public transport sector. The members tried to bring change but lacked enough resources. The latter was as a result of unfavorable federal laws and public injustices, high illiteracy among African Americans, and corruption. Their neighborhoods comprised of learned whites who took their children to better schools and afforded better houses. This research paper draws conclusions from various sources and purposes to highlight all these issues that revolved around the lives of Buffalo Soldiers and their families.
Significance of Study
This study serves as a valuable tool for the acquisition of a comprehensive understanding of the experiences throughout the lives of Buffalo Soldiers. Education, political stability, equal rights, and freedom for all were some of the most important issues the Buffalo Soldiers worked to achieve. African American soldiers played important roles during the Second World War, and more than seven hundred soldiers operated in Europe. Despite their large numbers, they faced discrimination as the whites formed segregated movements. During military studies, black Americans were categorized as unqualified to engage in such training. They were assigned casual duties with fewer earnings and poor working conditions. However, the study outlines how things changed as from 1941. The African American soldiers in association with other civil rights leaders convinced the federal government to form a combat unit composed of blacks. The government set up the group and conducted experiments as trials to determine African Americans' ability to operate in an equal measure as the white armies. Later on, the government received a lot of pressure from black soldiers who were demanding for improved pays and same policies as of the whites. It was at this point that disagreements resulted into splinter groups and rooming acts of a coup. The study is significant in that, it provides a clear picture of the rise of the Buffalo Soldiers and how hard they battled for all the liberty and freedom that all Americans enjoy today. In the Vietnam War that took place in 1960, the generations preceded by Buffalo Soldiers devoted their lives to fight for the United States. It is fascinating to note that the bloody battle was won due to the contributions of African American soldiers. The study further explains that the federal government had nothing else to prove, regarding the intelligence, might, and capabilities of the Buffalo Soldiers as reflected by other existing African American soldiers during this war. Today, African Americans who are descendants of Buffalo Soldiers comprise of more than 2.5 million military veterans (Tal, 2014).
Literature Review
After the black Americans had freed during the civil war, they moved westwards and sought employment opportunities, seeking to escape racial discrimination. Others became soldiers in the United States military. During the early eighteenth century, a large number of American Americans had joined the American army (Whalan, 2011). In 1866, a congress was held that resulted in the formation of the Buffalo Soldiers. The soldiers comprised of blacks as the leaders. However, in 1869, Buffalo soldiers encountered a blow due to its increasing numbers. The movement faced various attacks in Texas since it had allowed all soldiers who had been laid off from the American army to be part of the movement. The plains Indians dubbed the move as Buffalo Soldiers for they were impressed by their bravery and unwavering courage of these soldiers in fighting for freedom. Buffalo Soldiers played an important role in advocating for peace, fighting for good schools and education for all, and equity across the American soils. However, their efforts were met with equal shares of racial discrimination and many threats from the whites as well as hostile civilians.
Black soldiers were excluded from activities of national significance. Throughout the early nineteenth century, the Buffalo Soldiers pushed on with their quest for social justice and economic empowerment. Moreover, they called for public awareness among vulnerable communities by educating them on their rights as American citizens, regardless of their skin color. In their struggle, the Buffalo Soldiers came up with the agrarian south that functioned as a point for the expression of dissatisfaction. The African Americans would by then have a peaceful home under the surveillance of the African American soldiers. Immediately after the civil war, illiteracy levels were at 90%, and the Buffalo soldiers came together to build better schools for all Americans, either white or black (Browning, 2004). Moreover, they set up churches for worship and engaged the communities in social and cultural events that ...