Cathay Williams
Cathay Williams became the first black woman to enlist in the U.S. army in 1866 at a time when women were prohibited from serving in the military. Disguising herself as a man, Cathay switched her first and last names and successfully sealed her fate in history as the first documented black woman to enlist in the Army. For two years in the army, she hid her femininity until she was finally discovered by a surgeon.
