In 1863, Frederick Douglass promised African Americans that serving in the military offered a sure path to full citizenship. More than 180,000 heeded the call to defend the Union against the Confederate rebellion. Later, thousands more enlisted to subdue the Indians and expand and strengthen the national domain. In this sharply drawn history, Elizabeth D. Leonard takes the story of these frequently overlooked American soldiers beyond traditional political and military confines to consider the men’s aspirations and achievements as well as their setbacks and disappointments. Framed by Appomattox in 1865 and the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, and packed with individuals’ stories, details of battles fought, and descriptions of army life, Leonard’s work examines black soldiers’ contributions to the nation’s post-Civil War expansion and consolidation and sheds important light on the myriad obstacles the buffalo soldiers faced in their ongoing struggle for racial equality.