Under orders from President Eisenhower, the 101st Airborne escorts nine Black students into Central High School.
At a Glance
- Date
- 25 September 1957
- Location
- Little Rock, Arkansas
- Key people
- Dwight Eisenhower, the Little Rock Nine
- Category
- Education & HBCUs
- Source
- Executive Order 10730 (1957) · National Park Service
What It Meant Then
It was the first time since Reconstruction that federal troops enforced Black civil rights in the South.
What It Means Now
The image of soldiers protecting students remains iconic of federal power versus states' rights.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “Federal Troops Escort the Little Rock Nine.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/federal-troops-escort-the-little-rock-nine/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). Federal Troops Escort the Little Rock Nine. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/federal-troops-escort-the-little-rock-nine/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “Federal Troops Escort the Little Rock Nine.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/federal-troops-escort-the-little-rock-nine/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.