Buffalo Soldiers National Museum will share an interactive, live virtual education program about the Buffalo Soldiers and their involvement in the westward expansion of the United States of America.

African Americans have served proudly in every great American war. In 1866, through an act of Congress, legislation was adopted to create six all African Americans Army units. The units were identified as the 9th and 10th cavalry and the 38th, 39th, 40th, and 41st infantry regiments. The four infantry regiments were later recognized to form the 24th and 25th infantry regiments.

These fighting men represented the first Black professional soldiers in a peacetime army. The recruits came from varied backgrounds including former slaves and veterans from service in the Civil War. The nickname Buffalo Soldiers began with the Cheyenne warriors in 1867. The actual Cheyenne translation was Wild Buffalo. The nickname was given out of respect for the fierce fighting ability of the 10th U.S. Cavalry. Overtime, Buffalo Soldiers became a generic term for all African American soldiers serving in the 9th and 10th U.S. Cavalry and the 24th and 25th U.S. Infantry Regiments. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Buffalo Soldiers were assigned to the harshest and most desolate post. Specific duties included subduing Mexican revolutionaries, outlaws, rustlers and hostile Native Americans. Additional administrative duties included exploring and mapping the Southwest and establishing outposts for future towns.

In this program, BSNM will use the immersive and interactive Xplore AR platform to showcase how the Buffalo Soldiers came to be. The users’ journey will begin at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and will take them south and west to Texas, Montana, and other locations.  In a series of videos embedded in the locations featured on the map, a living historian describes specific events associated with each place. These descriptions offer insight into the daily-lived experiences of black soldiers in the U.S. West, including:  soldiers’ duties, experiments with bicycle-mounted troops, tools and machines used in the West, the first woman known to have served with the Buffalo Soldiers, and other events.  The artifacts and exhibits featured in this experience are currently on display at the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum in Houston, Texas.