African Americans in the American Revolution
Item
Title
African Americans in the American Revolution
Description
Black People in the American Colonies during the later 1700s had a lot of decisions to make
content
The focus of the American Revolution has always been on leaders in government and the armies. There isn’t as much on the soldiers and troops that served and fought and even less on blacks free or enslaved, who served. Free African Americans and slaves had to deal with choices and challenges that the Revolution brought to them. People like Boyrereau Brinch had incredible stories and experiences from their service that gets left behind. Brinch was a slave in Connecticut prior to the war who joined the militia in Connecticut. He was a black man who served in a mostly white unit who dealt with racist attacks from other soldiers and officers. Brinch was different from most blacks who served as he strictly fought and didn’t have to perform much labor. His account of the war shares his experiences of fighting for his life against British soldiers in New Jersey and having to escape from British lines. His stories aren’t well known but are a perfect example of what a African slave went through in fighting for their freedom.
The American Revolution was the battle for independence for the American Colonies from the British Empire. The battles on land and in sea during the 1770s and early 1780s occurred along side the issues that black people had been dealing with for over a hundred years. Black people throughout the colonies dealt with a daily fight for their freedom and their lives. Slaves had to deal with physical labor that taxed their bodies and deal with threats and beatings from masters and overseers. They were dealing with little to no freedom and didn’t have control of their own lives long before the white American colonists thought of fighting for independence from Britain. Slavery was an important part of the American economy and relied on the free labor of black slaves to create products and earn their owner’s money. The system of slavery took away the rights of these people and forced them to work against their will.
The start of fighting between the colonists and British left a choice for commanders on both sides on whether they would let black people serve and work in their forces. People like George Washington and John Dunmore had to think about the various aspects and effects of letting black people joining their forces. The British allowed slaves to run away from their owners to join and let free blacks fight for them years slightly earlier than continental army. The decision to let slaves and free blacks gave them a chance to improve their lives and in the case of slaves, gain their freedom. They were given the chance to earn their freedom in exchange for their labor and risking their life in service of the respective forces. For enslaved people the war gave them a chance to earn their freedom serving in place of their owner or to runaway to the army and earn their freedom in their own right. Slaves had to choose on whether they would continue living their lives the same way or if they would take a chance and get a new chance at life after the war. The goal for most slaves who joined was to give their army their service and then move to up to northern colonies or Canada and live the rest of their lives as free African American.
For the continental army they allowed slaves to serve in place of their owner and eventually over time runaway slaves who served in their own right. The army only allowed more slaves and black people in general to serve in their army because they needed the men to fill requirements for their troops. Slaves fighting in their cause wasn’t their first choice but with enlistments ending and waning support in the late 1770s, military leaders and congress made the choice to let slaves’ fight. At first the Americans only let black people work as laborers. They were the ones who dug trenches, moved equipment, and cleaned before they were eventually allowed to fight. As for the British they allowed runaways slaves in Virginia to fight for them in Lord Dunmore’s army. Dunmore as the governor for Virginia allowed slaves from owners who supported the colonies to runaway and fight for him. His proclamation allowed runaway slaves to join the army, create their own regiment, and earn their freedom after the war for their service. The British had a better appeal to slaves because it they gave a clearer path to freedom. They allowed them to serve in fighting units instead of only letting them perform jobs. They put out proclamations like Dunmore’s and Philipsburg that encouraged slaves to runaway to them and then be freed at the wars end. Men like Boston King were enticed to join due to their treatment as a slave. The abuse and threats that King went through in his time as a slave were bad enough that he ran away to the British troops in South Carolina. His life story is a well-known example of a slave who ran away from their plantation and owner to restart his life as a free man after his service to the crown.
Free blacks and former slaves joined their respective sides in hope of helping that government and country they liked the most. They would have had multiple reasons for joining either personal or they thought that the colonists or British would help black people out the most if they won. Leaders like George Washington again had to deal with the effects, rewards, and consequences with letting free blacks fight and work. These free blacks had to figure out early in the revolution on how to get around the policies about them joining especially if they tried to join the continental army. At times they had to work around the requirements that held them from serving but there were also instances where they were needed especially for labor. Free blacks were brought in as a work force doing the jobs that prepared areas for battles and got the army set up to fight. They found a reason and role in joining the revolution that helped their own lives and the situations of other African Americans in the colonies.
In hoping to gain their freedom and improve their lives, the black people who fought and served in the revolution risked their lives in fighting and the conditions they were put through in an army camp. They had a range of work to do and were usually in in poor conditions The risks of death and disease they went through were worth if it they survived and reached freedom that allowed them to live the lives they wanted. Diseases and poor sanitary conditions left many blacks who joined sick, disabled and in many cases dead. They dealt with more health issues and deaths on average than any other group who participated in the war. Blacks had less immunity to smallpox and other illnesses that spread. They were put in close quarters and did dirty work like cleaning, building, and digging that took a toll on their bodies. All of the dangers that were associated with war were outweighed by the possible benefits gained by freedom and having their country win.
Enslaved and free blacks had a lot to gain and lose through participating in the war. They put their lives on the line to get to a point where they could do what they wanted. Black Americans were able to prove that they could work for their country and fight for the formation of the United States. They fought in a cause that either for personal gains or because they believed it was for the best. It changed their lives and others that lived across the Atlantic world. The revolution was a major turning point in proving what African American could for their country.
King, Boston, Ruth Holmes Whitehead, and Robertson Carmelita A M. Memoirs of the Life of Boston King: A Black Preacher, Written by Himself during His Residence at Kingswood School. Wesleyan Methodist Magazine, 1798.
Virginia. By his Execellency the Right Honourable John Earl of Dunmore, his Majesty's Lieutenant and Governour-General of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia, and Vice-admiral of the same. A proclamation Declaring martial law and to cause the same to be. Norfolk, 1775.
Antibiastes Pseud. Observations on the slaves and the indented servants, inlisted in the army, and in the navy of the United States The resolves of Congress, for prohibiting the importation of slaves, demonstrates the consistent zeal of our rulers in the cause of. Philadelphia, 1777.
Narrative of Boyrereau Brinch Boyrereau Brinch, enslaved black soldier in the American army (americainclass.org) Winter, Kari J., Benjamin F. Prentiss, and Jeffrey Brace. The Blind African Slave: Memoirs of Boyrereau Brinch, Nicknamed Jeffrey Brace. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2004.
Fenn, Elizabeth A. “Chapter 2 Vigilance.” Essay. In Pox Americana: The Great Smallpox Epidemic of 1775-82, 44–79. Stroud: Sutton, 2004.
Reddick, L. D. “The Negro Policy of the United States Army, 1775-1945.” The Journal of Negro History 34, no. 1 (1949): 9–29.
QUARLES, BENJAMIN, THAD W. TATE, and GARY B. NASH. The Negro in the American Revolution. University of North Carolina Press, 1996.
Farley, M. Foster. “The South Carolina Negro in the American Revolution, 1775-1783.” The South Carolina Historical Magazine 79, no. 2 (1978): 75–86.
Poirier, Noel B. “A Legacy of Integration: The African American Citizen–Soldier and the Continental Army.” Army History, no. 56 (2002): 16–25.
The American Revolution was the battle for independence for the American Colonies from the British Empire. The battles on land and in sea during the 1770s and early 1780s occurred along side the issues that black people had been dealing with for over a hundred years. Black people throughout the colonies dealt with a daily fight for their freedom and their lives. Slaves had to deal with physical labor that taxed their bodies and deal with threats and beatings from masters and overseers. They were dealing with little to no freedom and didn’t have control of their own lives long before the white American colonists thought of fighting for independence from Britain. Slavery was an important part of the American economy and relied on the free labor of black slaves to create products and earn their owner’s money. The system of slavery took away the rights of these people and forced them to work against their will.
The start of fighting between the colonists and British left a choice for commanders on both sides on whether they would let black people serve and work in their forces. People like George Washington and John Dunmore had to think about the various aspects and effects of letting black people joining their forces. The British allowed slaves to run away from their owners to join and let free blacks fight for them years slightly earlier than continental army. The decision to let slaves and free blacks gave them a chance to improve their lives and in the case of slaves, gain their freedom. They were given the chance to earn their freedom in exchange for their labor and risking their life in service of the respective forces. For enslaved people the war gave them a chance to earn their freedom serving in place of their owner or to runaway to the army and earn their freedom in their own right. Slaves had to choose on whether they would continue living their lives the same way or if they would take a chance and get a new chance at life after the war. The goal for most slaves who joined was to give their army their service and then move to up to northern colonies or Canada and live the rest of their lives as free African American.
For the continental army they allowed slaves to serve in place of their owner and eventually over time runaway slaves who served in their own right. The army only allowed more slaves and black people in general to serve in their army because they needed the men to fill requirements for their troops. Slaves fighting in their cause wasn’t their first choice but with enlistments ending and waning support in the late 1770s, military leaders and congress made the choice to let slaves’ fight. At first the Americans only let black people work as laborers. They were the ones who dug trenches, moved equipment, and cleaned before they were eventually allowed to fight. As for the British they allowed runaways slaves in Virginia to fight for them in Lord Dunmore’s army. Dunmore as the governor for Virginia allowed slaves from owners who supported the colonies to runaway and fight for him. His proclamation allowed runaway slaves to join the army, create their own regiment, and earn their freedom after the war for their service. The British had a better appeal to slaves because it they gave a clearer path to freedom. They allowed them to serve in fighting units instead of only letting them perform jobs. They put out proclamations like Dunmore’s and Philipsburg that encouraged slaves to runaway to them and then be freed at the wars end. Men like Boston King were enticed to join due to their treatment as a slave. The abuse and threats that King went through in his time as a slave were bad enough that he ran away to the British troops in South Carolina. His life story is a well-known example of a slave who ran away from their plantation and owner to restart his life as a free man after his service to the crown.
Free blacks and former slaves joined their respective sides in hope of helping that government and country they liked the most. They would have had multiple reasons for joining either personal or they thought that the colonists or British would help black people out the most if they won. Leaders like George Washington again had to deal with the effects, rewards, and consequences with letting free blacks fight and work. These free blacks had to figure out early in the revolution on how to get around the policies about them joining especially if they tried to join the continental army. At times they had to work around the requirements that held them from serving but there were also instances where they were needed especially for labor. Free blacks were brought in as a work force doing the jobs that prepared areas for battles and got the army set up to fight. They found a reason and role in joining the revolution that helped their own lives and the situations of other African Americans in the colonies.
In hoping to gain their freedom and improve their lives, the black people who fought and served in the revolution risked their lives in fighting and the conditions they were put through in an army camp. They had a range of work to do and were usually in in poor conditions The risks of death and disease they went through were worth if it they survived and reached freedom that allowed them to live the lives they wanted. Diseases and poor sanitary conditions left many blacks who joined sick, disabled and in many cases dead. They dealt with more health issues and deaths on average than any other group who participated in the war. Blacks had less immunity to smallpox and other illnesses that spread. They were put in close quarters and did dirty work like cleaning, building, and digging that took a toll on their bodies. All of the dangers that were associated with war were outweighed by the possible benefits gained by freedom and having their country win.
Enslaved and free blacks had a lot to gain and lose through participating in the war. They put their lives on the line to get to a point where they could do what they wanted. Black Americans were able to prove that they could work for their country and fight for the formation of the United States. They fought in a cause that either for personal gains or because they believed it was for the best. It changed their lives and others that lived across the Atlantic world. The revolution was a major turning point in proving what African American could for their country.
King, Boston, Ruth Holmes Whitehead, and Robertson Carmelita A M. Memoirs of the Life of Boston King: A Black Preacher, Written by Himself during His Residence at Kingswood School. Wesleyan Methodist Magazine, 1798.
Virginia. By his Execellency the Right Honourable John Earl of Dunmore, his Majesty's Lieutenant and Governour-General of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia, and Vice-admiral of the same. A proclamation Declaring martial law and to cause the same to be. Norfolk, 1775.
Antibiastes Pseud. Observations on the slaves and the indented servants, inlisted in the army, and in the navy of the United States The resolves of Congress, for prohibiting the importation of slaves, demonstrates the consistent zeal of our rulers in the cause of. Philadelphia, 1777.
Narrative of Boyrereau Brinch Boyrereau Brinch, enslaved black soldier in the American army (americainclass.org) Winter, Kari J., Benjamin F. Prentiss, and Jeffrey Brace. The Blind African Slave: Memoirs of Boyrereau Brinch, Nicknamed Jeffrey Brace. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2004.
Fenn, Elizabeth A. “Chapter 2 Vigilance.” Essay. In Pox Americana: The Great Smallpox Epidemic of 1775-82, 44–79. Stroud: Sutton, 2004.
Reddick, L. D. “The Negro Policy of the United States Army, 1775-1945.” The Journal of Negro History 34, no. 1 (1949): 9–29.
QUARLES, BENJAMIN, THAD W. TATE, and GARY B. NASH. The Negro in the American Revolution. University of North Carolina Press, 1996.
Farley, M. Foster. “The South Carolina Negro in the American Revolution, 1775-1783.” The South Carolina Historical Magazine 79, no. 2 (1978): 75–86.
Poirier, Noel B. “A Legacy of Integration: The African American Citizen–Soldier and the Continental Army.” Army History, no. 56 (2002): 16–25.