In 1866, Medal of Honor winner Robert Pinn, a sergeant in the 5th United States Colored Troops, submitted an autobiographical essay to a left-handed penmanship competition organized by a newspaper editor to promote the cause of disabled veterans. Like many other soldiers, Sergeant Pinn had lost the use of his right arm during the Civil War. The podcast will explore Sergeant Pinn’s life story and the double discrimination he faced as both African American and disabled. The guests for this episode are Library of Congress Manuscript Division historian Michelle Krowl, and the Civil War historian Chandra Manning.

Additional Resources

• Robert Pinn’s left-handed penmanship contest essay
• Transcription of Robert Pinn’s essay
• Portrait of Robert A. Pinn