Who were the Buffalo soldiers?

‘Buffalo soldiers were African American soldiers who mainly served on the Western frontier following the American Civil War. In 1866, six all-Black cavalry and infantry regiments were created after Congress passed the Army Organization Act. Their main tasks were to help control the Native Americans of the Plains, capture cattle rustlers and thieves and protect settlers, stagecoaches, wagon trains, and railroad crews along the Western front.’ (history.com, 2021)

The term Buffalo soldiers was coined by Native Americans. They likely coined the word to refer to the African American soldiers because their dark, curly hair resembled the fur of a buffalo and also they fought so valiantly and fiercely that the Indians revered them as they did the mighty buffalo.