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John J. Pershing. General of the Armies John Joseph Pershing GCB (September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948), nicknamed " Black Jack ", was a senior American United States Army officer. He served most famously as the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) during World War I from 1917 to 1920.
John J. Pershing was born on a farm near Laclede, Missouri on 13 September 1860. He was the oldest of six children, three boys and three girls. He attended a school in Leclede considered exclusive for its time.
- Early Life and Launch of Military Career
- Service in The Spanish-American War and The Philippines
- Personal Tragedy and Role in Pursuit of Pancho Villa
- Leadership in World War I
- Pershing’s Later Years
- Sources
Pershing was born in 1860 near the small Missouri town of Laclede. While still a teenager, he got a job teaching at a school for African American students. After seeing an advertisement for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Pershing applied and won acceptance in 1882. He graduated four years later, ranking 30th in a class of 77. Pershing spe...
After spending several years teaching military science and tactics at the University of Nebraska (where he also obtained his law degree) and returning to West Point as an instructor, Pershing headed to Cuba to fight in the Spanish-American War. In 1898, he and the 10th Cavalry Regiment fought bravely in the Battles of Santiago and San Juan Hill alo...
After another tour in the Philippines from 1906-13, Pershing returned to the United States, where he was stationed at the Presidio in San Francisco and placed in command of the Army’s 8th Brigade. In August 1915, while Pershing and his men were on assignment in Fort Bliss, Texas to defend the southern border from attacks by Mexican bandits, a fire ...
After the United States entered World War I in 1917, Wilson bypassed five other major-generals to appoint Pershing as commander of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF). U.S. armed forces expanded quickly during the conflict, and Pershing was tasked with turning some 2 million relatively inexperienced troops into a professional fighting force. Soo...
When Pershing returned home, Congress made him only the second person (after George Washington) to be honored with the rank of “General of the Armies of the United States.” As the war’s greatest American hero, he was considered a possible president, but failed to win the 1920 Republican nomination. He served as U.S. Army chief of staff from 1921 to...
John J. Pershing. Historic Missourians. Today in History: July 15. Library of Congress. General John J. Pershing. National Park Service. Andrew Carroll. My Fellow Soldiers: General John Pershing and the Americans Who Helped Win the Great War. (Penguin Press, 2017)
1 day ago · West Point Academy. Date: March 16, 1802 - present. Areas Of Involvement: higher education. Notable Alumni: Red Blaik. John J. Pershing. Cyrus B. Comstock. Geoffrey Keyes. Fitz-John Porter. Related People: Red Blaik. Bertram G. Goodhue. Recent News. May 25, 2024, 4:14 PM ET (AP)
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
By 1882, John Pershing was looking for a way to escape rural Missouri and to challenge himself academically. He found a solution to both of these issues by attending the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York.
I believe that education should not be confined to textbooks and lectures. In my lab, I strive to create an environment where students are encouraged to explore, question, and experiment. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics.
Curriculum: American Portraits. Unit: Respect. John J. Pershing: Honoring the Fallen. 45 min. In this lesson, students will learn about the life and actions of John Pershing. They will learn through his actions how he sought to ensure the respect of his soldiers and the sacrifices they made on behalf of thei... Show more. Download Lesson Plan.
