History of the American Negro in the Great World War: His Splendid Record in the Battle Zones of Europe; Including a Resume of His Past Services to His Country in the Wars of the Revolution, of 1812, the War of Rebellion, the Indian Wars on the Frontier, the Spanish-American War, and the Late Imbroglio with Mexico

Published in 1919, this was the first comprehensive history of African American participation in the Great War, written while the memory of battle was still fresh. Sweeney, drawing on official War Department records and tributes from French and American commanders, documents the extraordinary contributions of Black soldiers who fought in France while their own country denied them basic rights at home. But this book does something more ambitious: it places WWI within a longer arc of Black military service, tracing sacrifices from the Revolution through the Civil War, the Indian Wars, and the Spanish-American conflict. Sweeney argued that the war represented "spiritual emancipation", a chance for Black Americans to prove their citizenship through blood. The result is both a vital historical document and a passionate argument about belonging, valor, and the price of patriotism. Though written over a century ago, Sweeney's account remains essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the unbroken thread of Black service and resistance in American history.