Harlem's Rattlers and the Great War : The Undaunted 369th Regiment and the African American Quest for Equality

Jeffrey Sammons

ISBN 10: 0700619577 / ISBN 13: 9780700619573

Published by University Press Of Kansas Mai 2014, 2014

About this Item

Neuware - When on May 15, 1918 a French lieutenant warned Henry Johnson of the 369th to move back because of a possible enemy raid, Johnson reportedly replied: 'I'm an American, and I never retreat.' The story, even if apocryphal, captures the mythic status of the Harlem Rattlers, the African-American combat unit that grew out of the 15th New York National Guard, who were said to have never lost a man to capture or a foot of ground that had been taken. It also, in its insistence on American identity, points to a truth at the heart of this book--more than fighting to make the world safe for democracy, the black men of the 369th fought to convince America to live up to its democratic promise. It is this aspect of the storied regiment's history--its place within the larger movement of African Americans for full citizenship in the face of virulent racism--that Harlem's Rattlers and the Great War brings to the fore. With sweeping vision, historical precision, and unparalleled research, this book will stand as the definitive study of the 369th. Though discussed in numerous histories and featured in popular culture (most famously the film Stormy Weather and the novel Jazz), the 369th has become more a matter of mythology than grounded, factually accurate history--a situation that authors Jeffrey T. Sammons and John H. Morrow, Jr. set out to right. Their book--which eschews the regiment's famous nickname, the 'Harlem Hellfighters,' a name never embraced by the unit itself--tells the full story of the self-proclaimed Harlem Rattlers. Combining the 'fighting focus' of military history with the insights of social commentary, Harlem's Rattlers and the Great War reveals the centrality of military service and war to the quest for equality as it details the origins, evolution, combat exploits, and postwar struggles of the 369th. The authors take up the internal dynamics of the regiment as well as external pressures, paying particular attention to the environment created by the presence of both black and white officers in the unit. They also explore the role of women--in particular, the Women's Auxiliary of the 369th--as partners in the struggle for full citizenship. From its beginnings in the 15th New York National Guard through its training in the explosive atmosphere in the South, its singular performance in the French army during World War I, and the pathos of postwar adjustment--this book reveals as never before the details of the Harlem Rattlers' experience, the poignant history of some of its heroes, its place in the story of both World War I and the African American campaign for equality--and its full importance in our understanding of American history.

Seller Inventory # 9780700619573

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Harlem's Rattlers and the Great War : The Undaunted 369th Regiment and the African American Quest for Equality
• Publisher: University Press Of Kansas Mai 2014
• Publication Date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0700619577
• ISBN 13: 9780700619573
• Binding: Buch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 235W x 157H x 41D millimeters 235 millimeters width by 157 millimeters height by 41 millimeters depth
• Weight: 1178 grams

About this title

Synopsis

When on May 15, 1918 a French lieutenant warned Henry Johnson of the 369th to move back because of a possible enemy raid, Johnson reportedly replied: “I’m an American, and I never retreat.” The story, even if apocryphal, captures the mythic status of the Harlem Rattlers, the African-American combat unit who were said to have never lost a man to capture or a foot of ground that had been taken. It also, in its insistence on American identity, points to a truth at the heart of this book, the black men of the 369th fought to convince America to live up to its democratic promise. It is this aspect of the storied regiment’s history - its place within the larger movement of African Americans for full citizenship in the face of virulent racism - that Harlem’s Rattlers and the Great War brings to the fore.

Though discussed in numerous histories and featured in popular culture (most famously the film Stormy Weather and the novel Jazz), the 369th has become more a matter of mythology than accurate history. This book - which eschews the regiment’s famous nickname, the “Harlem Hellfighters,” a name never embraced by the unit itself - tells the full story of the self-proclaimed Harlem Rattlers. Combining the “fighting focus” of military history with the insights of social commentary, Harlem’s Rattlers and the Great War reveals the centrality of military service and war to the quest for equality as it details the origins, evolution, combat exploits and postwar struggles of the 369th.

The authors pay particular attention to the environment created by the presence of both black and white officers in the unit. They also explore the role of women - in particular, the Women’s Auxiliary of the 369th - as partners in the struggle for full citizenship. From its beginnings in the 15th New York National Guard through its training in the explosive atmosphere in the South, its singular performance in the French army during World War I and the pathos of postwar adjustment - this book reveals as never before the details of the Harlem Rattlers’ experience, the poignant history of some of its heroes and its place in the story of both World War I and the African American campaign for equality.

About the Author

Jeffrey T. Sammons is professor in the Department of History at New York University.

John H. Morrow, Jr. is Franklin Professor of History at the University of Georgia.