World War 1 Black Military History

Research Guide

Getting Started

Begin your research by brainstorming keywords - the words and phrases you’ll use to search for books, articles, websites, government documents, and other resources. These may include names of people and places or historical concepts like eras and movements. A librarian can suggest “subject headings” to find the most relevant resources.

Example Keywords & Catalog Subject Headings

369th Infantry Regiment
BLACK military personnel
Harlem Hell Fighters
# World War, 1914-1918 -- Participation, African American
# United States. Air Force -- African Americans -- History.

Books/Print Resources at DPL

Harlem's Rattlers and the Great War : the undaunted 369th Regiment and the Afri…
The unknown soldiers : African-American troops in World War I / Arthur E. Barbe…
Double V : the civil rights struggle of the Tuskegee Airmen

Database/Online Resources

Library databases are online collections of information, organized for research. Databases contain articles, eBooks, images, maps, primary sources and more. If you don’t have a library card, register online for immediate access to these resources. The following recommended databases are available on our Research and Teen Social Studies pages.

Sample Articles
Black History Month theme highlights African-Americans in wartime.
Divided by race, united in war ... How black people sacrificed their lives in the two world wars.
Harlem Hellfighters finally awarded Congressional Gold Medal.

World History (Gale)

Research resources for human history of the world. Find topics about human civilizations, countries, cultures, economics, events, periods or eras, human rights, political organizations, religions, and wars. Includes reference and encyclopedia entries, biographies, news articles, primary sources, and academic journals.

Available with library card

Visit World History (Gale)
Sample Articles
African Americans in World War I
Race, War, and Surveillance: African Americans and the United States Government during World War I.

Black Historical Newspapers (ProQuest)

Collection of 14 influential African American newspapers that documented the Black experience in America from 1893 to 2010. Access to perspectives and information that was excluded or marginalized in mainstream sources. Articles, obituaries, photos, editorials, and more, from the following newspapers:

Atlanta Daily World
The Baltimore Afro-American
Chicago Defender
Cleveland Call & Post
Houston Informer and Texas Freeman
Kansas City Call
Los Angeles Sentinel
Louisville Defender
Michigan Chronicle
New York Amsterdam News
The Norfolk Journal & Guide
The Philadelphia Tribune
Pittsburgh Courier
St. Louis American

Available with library card

Visit Black Historical Newspapers (ProQuest)
Sample Articles
NEGRO ARTILLERY HELPED TO CAPTURE FORETR DE FREHUAT: Accounts Continue to Come From Our Boys Over There Telling of Their Great Part in the War. FRENCH PRIZE FOR HARRIS.
ONE REGIMENT BETWEEN THE GERMANS AND PARIS.: Colonel Hayward Recounts Story of How the 369 Saved the French Capital--Colored Boys Stopped the Huns.
Sample Articles
Black Patriots Fought and Died in Europe, to Little Avail in U.S.
OUR NEGRO SOLDIERS.

Internet Sources

Before using information you find on the internet for assignments and research, it is important to establish that the information comes from a reliable and appropriate source. The following websites, from government, academic and nonprofit organizations, have been evaluated for authority, accuracy, content and currency.

Contact the Reference Services department for help with your research project