What role did African Americans play in the American revolution?

Answer 1

African Americans in New England rallied to the patriot cause and were part of the militia forces that were organized into the new Continental Army. Approximately 5 percent of the American soldiers at the Battle of Bunker Hill (June 17, 1775) were black. New England blacks mostly served in integrated units and received the same pay as whites, although no African American is known to have held a rank higher than corporal.

It has been estimated that at least 5,000 black soldiers fought on the patriot side during the Revolutionary War. The exact number will never be known because eighteenth century muster rolls usually did not indicate race. Careful comparisons between muster rolls and church, census, and other records have recently helped identify many black soldiers. Additionally, various eyewitness accounts provide some indication of the level of African Americans' participation during the war. Baron von Closen, a member of Rochambeau's French army at Yorktown, wrote in July 1781, "A quarter of them [the American army] are Negroes, merry, confident and sturdy."

The use of African Americans as soldiers, whether freemen or slaves, was avoided by Congress and General Washington early in the war. The prospect of armed slave revolts proved more threatening to white society than British redcoats. General Washington allowed the enlistment of free blacks with "prior military experience" in January 1776, and extended the enlistment terms to all free blacks in January 1777 in order to help fill the depleted ranks of the Continental Army. Because the states constantly failed to meet their quotas of manpower for the army, Congress authorized the enlistment of all blacks, free and slave, in 1777. Of the southern states, only Maryland permitted African Americans to enlist. In 1779, Congress offered slave masters in South Carolina and Georgia $1,000 for each slave they provided to the army, but the legislatures of both states refused the offer. Thus, the greatest number of African American soldiers in the American army came from the North.

Answer 2

regrettably, slaves.

One of the first casualties of the American Revolution was an African-American man by the name of Crispus Attucks. On 5 March 1770, Attucks was eating a meal when he heard fighting. when he went to investigate, he saw Bostonian men rioting against soldiers from the British garrison in Boston. In Dock Square, he picked up a stick and lead a crowd to King Street where he launched at one of the soldiers. The soldier fired, hitting Attucks with two musket balls.

Four people were killed in the Boston Massacre, and six others were injured.

Attucks and the others casualties' bodies were laid for mourning in Faneuil Hall, and the funeral two days later was the largest assemblage in North America at that time.
The African Americans cooked food, washed clothes, etc... during the War.

that is wrong!

Answer 3

The African Americans mainly participated in the war because they were asked to fight for freedom. The British and Patriots said that if the Africans fight for them, they will get their freedom afterwards. The African Americans were so driven by this offer, many of them registered for the war.

Answer 4

Know your history, the first man to die in the American Revolution was a black man, Crispus Attucks. He was fighting on the front line. The National Archives and Records Administration has a series of records regarding the Negro in the American Military that dates back to 1639! So the fighting was never left to "the white man" to do, even before this was a nation!

Many African-Americans fought for the British during the American Revolution as the British promised them freedom if they did this. They also hated their white colonist masters. Around 5,000 African-Americans fought for the colonists and around 20,000 fought for the British; they even had their own regiments in the British Army.

An additional comment on use of the term of 'African-American':

~

The term of "African-American is an ETHNIC description used to describe

"ONLY those people who .... are 'The-Descendants-of-The-Survivors' of the

targets of the chattel-slave system which took place on the continental

United States during the antebellum era of the nations history."

Because African-American (AA) is actually an ETHNIC grouping

(as opposed to being a RACIAL grouping) -- there is NO "RACIAL

QUALIFICATION" REQUIRED in order to or a person to be an AA.

More than 70% of the AAs are of a Mixed-Race Lineage (which includes

about 20-30% European and +25% Amerindian); about 25% of the AAs

are of a full-Black lineage; and 5% of the AAs are found to have

no traces of Black lineage in their ancestry whatsoever.

One should never make the assumption that any person who is from

the continent of Africa and who becomes an American citizen ----

can be an African-American, NOR that any African person

living in the Americas is automatically an African-American.

This is not how the term is used.

African-American is an ETHNIC description used to describe

ONLY those people who .... are the descendants of and can

trace their ancestry back to the survivors of the targets of the

chattel-slave system which took place on the continental

U.S. during the antebellum era of the nations history.

Most white people found in the continent of Africa did

not have ancestors from the continental United States

who were chattel-slaves during the antebellum era

--- and therefore they aren't African-Americans.

Much like actress Charlize Theron is a white person who was

from South Africa then became an expatriate to the United

States (and is said to have, since, become an American) is

NOT a member of the very unique African-American (AA)

Ethnic grouping (as AAs are an Ethnic group, not a Race

group) -- but rather, Ms. Theron is 'a White American who

is of 'South African' Ethnicity' (and is not a member of the

very unique Ethnic grouping now called African-American)

In addition, while a common history of 'slavery' can apply to

a substantial majority of Americans who are categorized as

"black" -- not every "black" person who grows up, lives or

works in the United States is an African-American, either

Some black people in America are immigrants, expatriates, tourists

and students from the Black Diaspora -- and have no personal

ties to the African-American ethnicity or related history.

These people are often part of Ethnic group such as the

Afro-Cubans, Jamaicans, New Zealanders,

Maroons, British West Indians, etc.

For instance, model Melyssa Ford, Runner Ben Johnson

and singer Deborah Cox are all African-Canadians.

They all work in the U.S., some live here.

They are not African-Americans.

Also, Barack Obama's father is from

Kenya, his mother has Irish roots.

Neither of his parents are "descendants-of-the-survivors"

of the chattel-slavery system that took place on the

continental United States during the antebellum era.

Barack Obama can be described as either a 'Black'

American or as a 'half-Black' American -- but he is not

a member of the very unique African-American Ethnicity

He does, however, seem to strongly identify with that

particular Ethnic grouping of people; he has a good

number of constituents who are of that Ethnicity;

he has married into an African-American family

and has children who are half African-American.

But both Barack and his children have

an east African Kenyan ancestry --

whereas his wife, Michelle's, "black"

ancestry comes from West Africa.

"African-American is an ETHNIC description used to describe

ONLY those people who .... are the descendants of and can

trace their ancestry back to the survivors of the targets of

the chattel-slave system which took place on the continental

United States during the antebellum era of the nations history."

Answer 5

African Americans did a lot during the American Revolution. While slavery existed, official segregation did not until it was established in 1919 in Philadelphia. One of the three musicians in the fife and drum unit accompanying General Washington at Yorktown was Black. White and black fought together, especially in militia units. I have no idea if there were any black officers. Along this line and about that time, however, The first Methodist church in Fayetteville, North Carolina, was integrated and was served by a black pastor.

Answer 6

African Americans during the American Revolution were typically either kept on in their traditional roles, or often offered in place of their owners for military service.

Answer 7

Because the British goverment promised the African Americans that if they fought they would be free after if they won. With that promise the American patriots also promised the same.

Answer 8

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