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The small Continental navy was supplemented by individual state navies,
privateers, and vessels sailing under letters of marquee. All carried blacks,
although race was not always noted on the ship rosters. Naval vessels suffered
from chronic manpower shortages. Many black seamen had naval experience from
previous colonial wars or from serving on numerous coastal vessels prior to the
war. Although no ship captains were black, many pilots were black. As early as
1775 a recruiting poster in Newport sought “ye able backed sailors, men white
or black, to volunteer for naval service in ye interest of freedom.” The War of
1812 proved, for the most part , to be a naval war with fleets engaged at sea as
well as on the Great Lakes. With their Revolutionary War experience and
relatively unlimited access to shipping jobs, blacks proved to be a most
valuable and eagerly sought source of manpower. Blacks constituted from 10 to
20% of most ship’s crews and performed heroic duty in many engagements. Oliver
Hazard Perry spoke of his black crew members as “absolutely insensible to
danger” after their efforts in freeing the Great Lakes from British control.
Suffering from its long standing shortage of manpower, the Navy began enlisting
blacks as early as September, 1861. Blacks who early sought service, flocked to
the Navy as entry into the Army was barred to them. Blacks, however, were
confined to the positions of servant, cook, or powder boy. By 1862, the regular
seaman ranks were opened to blacks, and by war’s end, some 30,000 blacks had
served of a total Naval enlisted strength of 118,000, a much higher proportion
than the Army. Six African American seamen would be awarded the medal of honor
by war’s end.
Throughout the period of the Indian Campaigns, (1866-1890) the US Navy patrolled
the oceans, engaged in a brief conflict with Korea, and performed good-will
visits in ports throughout the world. During this period, one hundred and
twenty-two persons received the Medal of Honor for acts of bravery. Most were
awarded for saving fellow crew members from drowning. Seven were awarded to
African American seamen. When the battleship Maine sank in Havana Harbor in
February 1898, twenty-two African American sailors went to the bottom with the
crew. Blacks were prohibited from enlisting in the Navy after World War I. It
was not until 1932 that blacks were permitted to enlist, and then only in the
messman’s, branch which was filled predominately with Filipinos. Only in 1942
did the navy decide to accept volunteers for general service in all branches.
Even then, blacks were prohibited from going to sea and were restricted to
assignments ashore or in small harbor or coastal craft. The 10% quota
established in 1940 was applied to each ship and was used as a ceiling, not a
floor, for black participation. Despite this segregation, almost 150,000 blacks
served in the Navy during World War II. Many saw combat.
Blacks did not enter the Marine Corps until August 1942 and then only in
segregated units. Most were placed in service units depot companies and
ammunition companies. Only two combat units were created, the 51st and 52nd
Defense Battalions. Although 75% of the 17,000 black Marines served overseas,
few saw combat.
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