Racial segregation in the United States Armed Forces

Racial segregation in the United States Armed Forces, which has included separation of white and nonwhite troops, quotas, restriction of nonwhite troops to support roles, and outright bans on blacks and other nonwhites serving in the military, has been a part of the military history of the United States since the American Revolution. Each branch of the Armed Forces has historically had different policies regarding racial segregation. Although Executive Order 9981 officially ended segregation in the Armed Forces in 1948, following World War II, some forms of racial segregation continued until after the Korean War.

Before the American Revolution, some blacks had already served in local militias in the French and Indian Wars, and a black man, Crispus Attucks, was one of the first felled at the outset of the American Revolution. Both free and enslaved black men fought at the battle of Lexington and Concord and the Battle of Bunker Hill. However, at the beginning of the Revolutionary War, many whites in power were reluctant to allow blacks to carry arms, because of fears of an armed slave insurrection. One of George Washington's first acts as commander in chief was to sign an order forbidding the recruitment of all blacks. The British took advantage of this and recruited thousands of black men to the Loyalist side. Because of a shortage in manpower George Washington quickly relented and allowed black soldiers to serve in the Continental Army. One state, Rhode Island, had an all black unit, and enslaved black soldiers in the unit were freed at the end of the war. In the rest of the military units, blacks served side by side with whites. One historian commented that the military during this time was more integrated than it would be until the Korean War. Many of these black soldiers, however, fought as slaves and continued as slaves after the war.

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