The Black Regiment of the American Revolution

The Black Regiment of the American Revolution PDF Author: Linda Crotta Brennan
Publisher: Moon Mountain Publishing
ISBN:
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 54

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Book Description
In the Battle of Rhode Island during the Revolutionary War, the Black Regiment successfully fought off three determined attacks, thus preventing the capture of a large Colonial force. The Black Regiment went on to serve with distinction at Yorktown, establishing a proud tradition of African-American military service and proving the valor and discipline of Black men in an era when slavery was rampant.

The Black Regiment of the American Revolution

The Black Regiment of the American Revolution PDF Author: Linda Crotta Brennan
Publisher: Moon Mountain Publishing
ISBN:
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 54

Get Book Here

Book Description
In the Battle of Rhode Island during the Revolutionary War, the Black Regiment successfully fought off three determined attacks, thus preventing the capture of a large Colonial force. The Black Regiment went on to serve with distinction at Yorktown, establishing a proud tradition of African-American military service and proving the valor and discipline of Black men in an era when slavery was rampant.

From Slaves to Soldiers

From Slaves to Soldiers PDF Author: Robert Geake
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781594164156
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Known as the "Black" Regiment, the Story of the First Continental Army Unit Composed of African American and Native American Enlisted Men In December 1777, the Continental army was encamped at Valley Forge and faced weeks of cold and hunger, as well as the prospect of many troops leaving as their terms expired in the coming months. If the winter were especially cruel, large numbers of soldiers would face death or contemplate desertion. Plans were made to enlist more men, but as the states struggled to fill quotas for enlistment, Rhode Island general James Mitchell Varnum proposed the historic plan that a regiment of slaves might be recruited from his own state, the smallest in the union, but holding the largest population of slaves in New England. The commander-in-chief's approval of the plan would set in motion the forming of the 1st Rhode Island Regiment. The "black regiment," as it came to be known, was composed of indentured servants, Narragansett Indians, and former slaves. This was not without controversy. While some in the Rhode Island Assembly and in other states railed that enlisting slaves would give the enemy the impression that not enough white men could be raised to fight the British, owners of large estates gladly offered their slaves and servants, both black and white, in lieu of a son or family member enlisting. The regiment fought with distinction at the battle of Rhode Island, and once joined with the 2nd Rhode Island before the siege of Yorktown in 1781, it became the first integrated battalion in the nation's history. In From Slaves to Soldiers: The 1st Rhode Island Regiment in the American Revolution, historian Robert A. Geake tells the important story of the "black regiment" from the causes that led to its formation, its acts of heroism and misfortune, as well as the legacy left by those men who enlisted to earn their freedom.

The Untold Story of the Black Regiment

The Untold Story of the Black Regiment PDF Author: Michael Burgan
Publisher: Capstone
ISBN: 0756554772
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 64

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Book Description
The inspiring story of the black soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War is important and unforgettable, yet it's unfamiliar to many people. These soldiers served heroically to win the freedom of a nation where "all men are created equal." However, many of those who fought would not get to experience the freedom for which they risked their lives.

African Americans In The Revolutionary War

African Americans In The Revolutionary War PDF Author: Lt. Col. (Ret.) Michael Lee Lanning
Publisher: Citadel Press
ISBN: 0806541695
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
“A thorough, long-overdue study of Black Americans’ contributions during the War of Independence. . . . An important piece of American and African American history.” —Kirkus Reviews In this enlightening and informative work, military historian Lt. Col. Michael Lee Lanning (ret.) reveals the little-known, critical, and heroic role African Americans played in the American Revolution, serving in integrated units—a situation that would not exist again until the Korean War—more than 150 years later . . . At first, neither George Washington nor the Continental Congress approved of enlisting African Americans in the new army. Nevertheless, Black men—both slave and free—filled the ranks and served in all of the early battles. Black sailors also saw action in every major naval battle of the Revolution, including members of John Paul Jones’s crew aboard the Bonhomme Richard. At least thirteen Black Americans served in the newly formed U.S. Marine Corps during the war. Bravery among African Americans was commonplace, as recognized by their commanders and state governments, and their bravery is recorded here in the stories of citizen Crispus Attucks at the Boston Massacre; militiaman Price Esterbrook at Lexington Green; soldier Salem Poor at Bunker Hill; and marine John Martin aboard the brig Reprisal. As interest in colonial history enjoys renewed popularity due to works like Hamilton, and the issues of prejudice and discrimination remain at the forefront of our times, African Americans in the Revolutionary War offers an invaluable perspective on a crucial topic that touches the lives of Americans of every color and background.

Black Patriots and Loyalists

Black Patriots and Loyalists PDF Author: Alan Gilbert
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226293076
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 386

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Book Description
In this thought-provoking history, Gilbert illuminates how the fight for abolition and equality - not just for the independence of the few but for the freedom and self-government of the many - has been central to the American story from its inception."--Pub. desc.

Standing in Their Own Light

Standing in Their Own Light PDF Author: Judith L. Van Buskirk
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
ISBN: 0806158905
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 313

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Book Description
The Revolutionary War encompassed at least two struggles: one for freedom from British rule, and another, quieter but no less significant fight for the liberty of African Americans, thousands of whom fought in the Continental Army. Because these veterans left few letters or diaries, their story has remained largely untold, and the significance of their service largely unappreciated. Standing in Their Own Light restores these African American patriots to their rightful place in the historical struggle for independence and the end of racial oppression. Revolutionary era African Americans began their lives in a world that hardly questioned slavery; they finished their days in a world that increasingly contested the existence of the institution. Judith L. Van Buskirk traces this shift to the wartime experiences of African Americans. Mining firsthand sources that include black veterans’ pension files, Van Buskirk examines how the struggle for independence moved from the battlefield to the courthouse—and how personal conflicts contributed to the larger struggle against slavery and legal inequality. Black veterans claimed an American identity based on their willing sacrifice on behalf of American independence. And abolitionists, citing the contributions of black soldiers, adopted the tactics and rhetoric of revolution, personal autonomy, and freedom. Van Buskirk deftly places her findings in the changing context of the time. She notes the varied conditions of slavery before the war, the different degrees of racial integration across the Continental Army, and the war’s divergent effects on both northern and southern states. Her efforts retrieve black patriots’ experiences from historical obscurity and reveal their importance in the fight for equal rights—even though it would take another war to end slavery in the United States.

'They Were Good Soldiers'

'They Were Good Soldiers' PDF Author: John U. Rees
Publisher: From Reason to Revolution
ISBN: 9781911628545
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The role of African-Americans, most free but some enslaved, in the regiments of the Continental Army is not well-known; neither is the fact that relatively large numbers served in southern regiments and that the greatest number served alongside their white comrades in integrated units. 'They Were Good Soldiers' begins by discussing, for comparison, the inclusion and treatment of black Americans by the various Crown forces (particularly British and Loyalist commanders, and military units). The narrative then moves into an overview of black soldiers in the Continental Army, before examining their service state by state. Each state chapter looks first at the Continental regiments in that state's contingent throughout the war, and then adds interesting black soldiers' pension narratives or portions thereof. The premise is to introduce the reader to the men's wartime duties and experiences. The book's concluding chapters examine veterans' postwar fortunes in a changing society and the effect of increasing racial bias in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. 'They Were Good Soldiers' makes extensive use of black veterans' pension narratives to 'hear' them and others tell their stories, and provides insights into their lives, before, during, and after the war.

They “... Fought Bravely, but Were Unfortunate:”

They “... Fought Bravely, but Were Unfortunate:” PDF Author: Daniel M. Popek
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 1496908988
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 1029

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Book Description
Rhode Island’s “Black Regiment” of the American Revolutionary War is fairly well-known to students of American History. Most published histories of the small colored battalion from Rhode Island are clearly biased in favor of the “regiment” and tend to interpret it as an elite military unit. However, a detailed study and analysis of Rhode Island’s segregated Continental Line by the author reveals a “military experiment” that was beset with difficulties from its start and ultimately failed as a segregated unit in 1780. In this work, many of the popular stories of Rhode Island’s “Black Regiment” are proven to be myths. Follow the accurate historical stories of the colored and white soldiers of Rhode Island’s Continental Line whose courage and sacrifices helped create an independent nation.

"Strong and Brave Fellows"

Author: Glenn A. Knoblock
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 372

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Book Description
Containing the military service records of more than 200 black soldiers with ties to New Hampshire during the American Revolution, this volume helps provide a better understanding of what it meant to be a black man in New Hampshire during this critical phase of American history. Knoblock (an author and lecturer from Dover, N.H.) covers campaigns and engagements, and details the known information about each soldier's career. The study's appendices include black soldiers who died in the war, black soldiers before the revolution, breakdown by regiment, and black place names and locales in New Hampshire. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).

Congress's Own

Congress's Own PDF Author: Holly A. Mayer
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
ISBN: 0806169923
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 409

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Book Description
Colonel Moses Hazen’s 2nd Canadian Regiment was one of the first “national” regiments in the American army. Created by the Continental Congress, it drew members from Canada, eleven states, and foreign forces. “Congress’s Own” was among the most culturally, ethnically, and regionally diverse of the Continental Army’s regiments—a distinction that makes it an apt reflection of the union that was struggling to create a nation. The 2nd Canadian, like the larger army, represented and pushed the transition from a colonial, continental alliance to a national association. The problems the regiment raised and encountered underscored the complications of managing a confederation of states and troops. In this enterprising study of an intriguing and at times “infernal” regiment, Holly A. Mayer marshals personal and official accounts—from the letters and journals of Continentals and congressmen to the pension applications of veterans and their widows—to reveal what the personal passions, hardships, and accommodations of the 2nd Canadian can tell us about the greater military and civil dynamics of the American Revolution. Congress’s Own follows congressmen, commanders, and soldiers through the Revolutionary War as the regiment’s story shifts from tents and trenches to the halls of power and back. Interweaving insights from borderlands and community studies with military history, Mayer tracks key battles and traces debates that raged within the Revolution’s military and political borderlands wherein subjects became rebels, soldiers, and citizens. Her book offers fresh, vivid accounts of the Revolution that disclose how “Congress’s Own” regiment embodied the dreams, diversity, and divisions within and between the Continental Army, Congress, and the emergent union of states during the War for American Independence.