African Americans have participated in the United States Armed Forces since the Revolutionary War. While doing so they endured not only the troubles of engaging an external enemy but also the harsh realities of racism and segregation. Still, in times of war, African Americans were expected to serve their country faithfully, despite not having the same rights as their white counterparts. After both wars, many veterans returned home to be beaten, humiliated, and lynched (often still in uniform). All the while still being denied the rights of full citizenship. Refusing to submit to Jim Crow America, veterans used their organizational skills and began to coordinate an attack on segregation in America.