314:' have pretty much brought this event to the attention of the general public." She then pointed out that this assault "was one of the many battlefield exploits of African Americans during the Civil War. Before the war ended, black troops had been involved in hundreds of skirmishes and engagements including thirty-five major battles." Dr. Putney went on to cite statistics regarding the blacks who served the Union on land and sea: of their 200,000 number, there were "some 68,000 casualties; some 37,000 of these lost their lives."
241:, described Dr. Putney's approach to teaching: "She worked me to death. I really learned from her. She tried to prepare you for discrimination in the sense you had to be very good to be accepted." Most of the students at both Howard and Bowie State were black, and former student William Missouri noted that Dr. Putney would ask unprepared students, "How can you be an African American and not
268:(Scarecrow Press, 1992), drew not only on the author's personal experience in the army but also from "archival records, manuscripts, documents, contemporary newspaper accounts and interviews, statements, and the personal files of those who served". It received the 1993 Outstanding Book on Human Rights award of the Gustav Myers Center for the Study of Human Rights in America.
275:(McFarland, 2003), a pictorial collection whose paintings and sketches "depict black army personnel at war, as war casualties, at prayer, in peacetime assignments, in training, at play and at leisure, and as military musicians." Each illustration is accompanied by a narrative along with the artist's name, medium used, location of the original, and other information.
156:, which had been created the previous year. Interviewed years later, she explained her decision this way: "The Corps, which was then less than a year old, promised an opportunity to become a commissioned officer. Though I had a master's degree in history, I refused to go any further south for a job, so the promise of a commission was the best option available."
125:, her alma mater, in Washington, D.C. Upon retiring from the faculty at Howard, she embarked on a writing career that included three books and over 20 journal articles. At the time of her death at age 92 she was working on a fourth book portraying the contributions of blacks in combat dating back to the
191:
what "the whole world understand about women's efforts" in World War II, Dr. Putney replied: "They should understand . . . that we were a mighty support force for the male armed forces. I've got to say male because many of us did all of the tasks, all of the . . . military occupational specialties,
736:
The Civil War
Soldiers and Sailors System (CWSS) is an online database developed by the National Park Service, in cooperation with public and private partners, to record the names of and other basic information about those who fought on either side in the American Civil War. The initial deployment
30:
144:
As a young woman, she helped garner black votes for a candidate for
Congress whom she had heard speak. The candidate won, and with his help she got a scholarship to Howard University, where she received a bachelor's degree (1939) and master's degree in history (1940).
341:
Dr. Martha Settle Putney died on
December 11, 2008, at the Community Hospice of Washington in the District of Columbia. The cause of death was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. On February 10, 2009, she was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
293:
Dr. Putney's chronicling of the military exploits of
African Americans was not confined to the written word. She also conveyed these histories through the medium of public speaking. On July 17, 1998, for example, she spoke at a
224:, she joined Bowie State College's history and geography department, which she chaired until 1974. She then returned to her alma mater, Howard University, where she held the position of Senior Lecturer until 1983.
681:
192:
as a man, except carry a gun." Interviewed on another occasion, she said: "It is my thesis that military integration made the basis for the emergence and the expansion of the black middle class."
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After the war, she returned to her job with the
Manpower Commission, where she met William M. Putney. They were married in 1948 and had one child, William, Jr. Her husband died in 1965.
477:(1992) "Some Experiences In The Women's Army Corps During World War II," in Proceedings Of] – Remarks of Hon. Alcee L. Hastings, p. 5, February 13, 2009, accessed February 26, 2009.
302:
in
Washington, D.C., occasioned by the inception earlier that year of the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System. She began her remarks with a reference to the fatal attack on
980:
148:
She remained in
Washington where, despite her academic credentials, she was unable to get a teaching job. She settled instead for a statistical clerk position with the
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463:(1996) "The Travails of Ernestine Woods: First Black Graduate from Officer Candidate School, The Women's Army Corps, Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, during World War II,"
169:
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253:
After retiring from her teaching career, Dr. Putney turned to writing, focusing on the achievement of
African Americans in the military. Her first book,
113:
Following a period of employment with the War
Manpower Commission after her discharge from the army, she entered the academic world, earning a PhD at the
322:
172:. Her duties there included leading drills and teaching calisthenics. She asked for, and was granted, permission to attend Adjutant General's School in
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261:, was described by one reviewer as "A welcome contribution to what amounts to a new field of study, black history and the American maritime service."
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428:(1981) "The Baltimore Normal School Cash Book: the Funding and Management of a Black Mission School, the Predecessor of Bowie State College,"
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610:, "Martha Putney, Historian of Blacks, Is Dead at 92". (Brokaw (p. 190) gives the year of her marriage as 1947, but other sources, such as
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to train for an executive or administrative position. This led to an assignment as commanding officer of a WAC Hospital
Company at the
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Martha Settle was one of 40 African-American women selected for the Women's Army Corps (WAC) in 1943. She soon earned the rank of
98:(November 9, 1916 – December 11, 2008) was an American educator and historian who chronicled the roles of African Americans in the
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881:, "Slaves in the American Maritime Economy, 1638–1865: Economic and Cultural Roles, Endnotes, accessed March 7, 2009."
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in the U.S. House of Representatives on February 13, 2009, corroborate the 1948 date given in the Grimes article.)
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110:, she devoted her life to researching and documenting the military service and achievements of black Americans.
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121:(now Bowie State University) in Maryland, where she chaired the history and geography department, and later at
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African Americans and ROTC: Military, Naval and Aeroscience Programs at Historically Black Colleges, 1916–1973
141:, Pennsylvania, on November 9, 1916. Her father worked as a laborer to support his wife and eight children.
959:, African American History and Life: 1877–1954 (cited hereafter as British Library), accessed March 4, 2009.
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410:(1977) "The Baltimore Normal School for the Education of Colored Teachers: Its Founders and Its Founding".
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Dr. Putney published numerous articles in scholarly journals including the Maryland Historical Magazine,
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325:(now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History). She volunteered at the
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The Black Colleges in the Maryland State College System: Quest for Equal Opportunity, 1908–1975
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382:(1972) "Black Merchant Seamen of Newport, 1803–1865: A Case Study in Foreign Commerce,"
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She also was a frequent contributor to the Northeast News, a community newspaper.
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When the Nation was in Need: Blacks in the Women's Army Corps During World War II
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When the Nation was in Need: Blacks in the Women's Army Corps During World War II
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When the Nation was in Need: Blacks in the Women's Army Corps During World War II
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When the Nation was in Need: Blacks in the Women's Army Corps During World War II
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Black sailors: Afro-American merchant seamen and whalemen prior to the Civil War
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453:, Volume 12, Numbers 1 & 2; Special Issue: African Americans in the Military
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Black Sailors: Afro-American Merchant Seamen and Whalemen Prior to the Civil War
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Black Sailors: Afro-American Merchant Seamen and Whalemen Prior to the Civil War
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771:, remarks delivered at Ford's Theater, July 17, 1998, accessed March 4, 2009.
449:(1991) "Blacks in the Women's Army Corps: The Experiences of Two Companies,"
442:(1991) "Mary McLeod Bethune and the Women's Army Corps during World War II,"
389:(1975) "The Formative Years of Maryland's First Black Postsecondary School,"
762:
Martha Putney, "A Historical Overview of African Americans and the Military"
107:
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1030:, introduced by Brian Williams, narrated by Tom Brokaw, February 10, 2009.
799:, funeral schedule for Tuesday, February 10, 2009. accessed March 5, 2009.
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of the CWSS in early 1998 included data about the 235,000 members of the
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and in 1955 received her PhD in European History. After brief stints at
173:
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The French Encounter with Africans: White Response to Blacks, 1530–1880
545:(December 22, 2008), Obituaries, p. B05, accessed February 22, 2009;
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209:
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National Archives, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands
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William Grimes, "Martha Putney, Historian of Blacks, Is Dead at 92,"
396:(1975) "The Slave Trade in French Diplomacy from 1814 to 1815,"
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Women In Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, Inc.
318:
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Journal of Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society
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Blacks in the United States Army: Portraits Through History
783:, "Bowie, Howard Historian Martha Putney"; Brokaw, p. 191.
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Blacks in the United States Army: Portraits Through History
460:, Volume 12, Numbers 3 & 4 (edited by Martha S. Putney)
370:
Blacks in the United States Army: Portraits Through History
273:
Blacks in the United States Army: Portraits Through History
637:– War Stories panel biographies, accessed March 5, 2009;
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Univ. of Tennessee – Celebrate Freedom 2000 – Speaker Bios
183:
Many years later, when asked in a television interview by
102:. After serving as one of the first black members of the
1036:, "Milestones—The Nation Loses Two Military Women Icons."
495:"Putney, Martha S." Encyclopædia Britannica Online (2009)
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in Chicago, a position she held for the rest of the war.
947:– Citations to Record Group 105, accessed March 7, 2009.
504:(December 17, 2008), p. B12, accessed February 22, 2009.
529:
In Memoriam – Martha S. Putney, accessed March 6, 2009.
465:
Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc.
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Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc.
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Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc.
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Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc.
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Referenced in William B. Cohen and James D. Le Sueur,
644:, "Martha Putney, Historian of Blacks, Is Dead at 92."
552:, "Martha Putney, Historian of Blacks, Is Dead at 92".
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the NPS Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System website
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Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
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Congressman Alcee L. Hastings's tribute to Dr. Putney
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and was on the editorial board of the Journal of the
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Joe Holley, "Bowie, Howard Historian Martha Putney,"
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Association for the Study of Negro Life and History
137:Martha Settle was born to Oliver and Ida Settle of
933:University of Maryland Library Digital Collections
456:(1991) "An Interview with Ralph David Abernathy,"
331:Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society
89:William M. Putney (1948–1965; his death); 1 child
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527:JBHE Weekly Bulletin – Latest News for 1/15/2009
168:and was assigned to a basic training company at
117:and pursuing a distinguished teaching career at
583:aired May 29, 2004, accessed February 25, 2009.
437:Journal of the Afro-American Historical Society
310:, noting that "numerous accounts and the film '
308:54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment
212:, she enrolled in the doctoral program at the
1040:Library of Congress, Veterans History Project
795:, "Bowie, Howard Historian Martha Putney";
626:, "Bowie, Howard Historian Martha Putney";
987:Article File Index, accessed March 6, 2009.
741:. For more information about the CWSS see
727:, February 4, 2009, accessed March 5, 2009.
695:, "Bowie, Howard Historian Martha Putney."
595:, "Bowie, Howard Historian Martha Putney."
571:, accessed March 5, 2009; Brokaw, p. 187.
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1091:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
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435:(1983) "Pardon Cook: Whaling Master,"
403:(1976) "Nelson Wells and His Legacy,"
288:
581:CNN Transcripts, "CNN Live Saturday,"
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1136:Military personnel from Pennsylvania
1126:21st-century African-American people
1121:20th-century African-American people
1081:People from Norristown, Pennsylvania
978:Mashantucket Pequot Research Library
890:Referenced in Charles Johnson, Jr.,
245:to learn African-American history?"
1131:21st-century African-American women
1116:20th-century African-American women
812:(Greenwood Publishing Group, 1987,
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517:(New York: Random House, 1998,
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152:. In 1943 she enlisted in the
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423:Maryland Historical Magazine
412:Maryland Historical Magazine
391:Maryland Historical Magazine
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1111:Women's Army Corps soldiers
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1046:Arlington National Cemetery
1042:, Martha Putney Collection.
872:Referenced in Brendan Foley
850:Martha S. Putney (editor),
797:Arlington National Cemetery
684:September 28, 2011, at the
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633:September 3, 2007, at the
214:University of Pennsylvania
127:American Revolutionary War
115:University of Pennsylvania
1096:American women historians
935:, accessed March 5, 2009.
767:January 16, 2009, at the
711:, accessed March 6, 2009.
691:, accessed Mar, 5, 2009;
679:The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
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665:, excerpt from review by
306:, South Carolina, by the
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178:Gardiner General Hospital
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833:(Scarecrow Press, 1992,
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280:Journal of Negro History
51:Norristown, Pennsylvania
877:March 14, 2009, at the
327:Smithsonian Institution
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234:The Greatest Generation
218:Morgan State University
150:War Manpower Commission
1028:NBC Nightly News video
567:July 19, 2011, at the
414:72, no.2 (Summer 1977)
405:Negro History Bulletin
983:June 6, 2011, at the
467:, Volume 15, Number 2
296:National Park Service
170:Fort Des Moines, Iowa
748:May 9, 2008, at the
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894:(McFarland, 2002),
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81:Educator; historian
854:(McFarland, 2003,
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808:Martha S. Putney,
725:of Norristown, Pa.
641:The New York Times
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502:The New York Times
239:Clifford Muse, Jr.
208:Making use of the
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108:World War II
100:armed forces
95:
94:
64:(2008-12-11)
15:
1066:2008 deaths
1061:1916 births
407:39: 642–647
393:(June 1975)
337:Death at 92
304:Fort Wagner
174:San Antonio
1055:Categories
482:References
439:, 40:47–54
432:2:2: 65–74
229:Tom Brokaw
189:Paula Zahn
166:Lieutenant
139:Norristown
133:Early life
43:1916-11-09
210:G.I. Bill
86:Spouse(s)
981:Archived
875:Archived
765:Archived
746:Archived
682:Archived
639:Grimes,
631:Archived
605:Grimes,
565:Archived
547:Grimes,
417:(1980) "
372:(editor)
321:and the
249:Writings
368:(2003)
362:(1992)
356:(1987)
106:during
1014:AAHGS.
1005:AAHGS.
996:AAHGS.
919:
898:
858:
837:
816:
793:Holley
781:Holley
693:Holley
667:Choice
624:Holley
593:Holley
521:
196:Family
72:, U.S.
53:, U.S.
472:Other
351:Books
319:NAACP
312:Glory
917:ISBN
896:ISBN
856:ISBN
835:ISBN
814:ISBN
519:ISBN
243:want
220:and
59:Died
37:Born
421:,"
185:CNN
1057::
707:–
386:57
333:.
129:.
752:.
45:)
41:(
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