Black People And The American Revolution

The American Revolution resonated with all classes of society, as it stood to divide a nation’s loyalties and recreate the existing fabric of society. During the 1770s to mid 1780s, no group living in the British American colonies was left unaffected. For blacks enslaved in America, the war presented the fleeting possibility of freedom in a nation that was still dependent on an economic structure of oppression and bondage. For those blacks that were free, they chose their alliances wisely in hopes of gaining economic opportunities and improving their status in the American colonies. The American Negroes, whether free or enslaved, could be found on either side of the battlefront. They took on many different roles, some fighting on the

In this short work Professor Huggins explores the position and achievement of black slaves in American society, with its dream of 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness', from which they were excluded, except as necessary instruments. Wisely, instead of cramming a narrative of 250 years of complex social and economic history into 242 pages of text, he uses his talents as an established historian of black American culture to offer the general, rather than the academic, reader an admirable blend of the higher generalization and the higher popularization.

Another individual, Olaudah Equiano, was captured in Nigeria. He was taken by ship across the Middle Passage. Once he was put aboard the ship, the crew roughed him up some in order to test his fortitude. Having looked around his situation, he noticed the other slaves were very dejected. He passed out and awoke with members of the party that had sold him around him. He was afraid he was being sold to be eaten, but was assured he was not. He was led to the lower decks of the ship. The stench and disgust of the area were more than he could take. Olaudah became depressed and fell very sick. He often wished that death would come and take him. Once the cargo ship was fully loaded, the space was exceedingly limited. He was beaten for not eating and whipped hourly. After finding some of his own nation, he was told that they were being taken to a white man’s country to work. This was some relief to him. He soon became so weak that he was brought to the deck and allowed to stay there. This was a minor relief as he had to witness those that were brought form below at near death. During a period of calm seas, several slaves successfully jumped ship. The crew was quick to react and made all slaves go below deck. After stopping the ship setting about a

The American Revolution occurred due to the conflict between those living in the 13 colonies and the colonial government, which represented the British crown because of the high taxes they were ordered to pay to their homeland. By definition, a revolution means to forcible overthrow of a government or social order in favor of a new system. With the new colonies winning the war against Great Britain, yes, they did overthrow the ruling of the Queen and if not, the United States would still be considered colonies of England. But if one looks through the lens of social, political, and economic change occurring for all people, this was not a true revolution. The middle class did not grow. Slavery was still legal. There was no restructuring in terms of economics and the new America was run on a system of capitalism. Change only truly occurred in terms of politics, with the introduction of a democracy and the constitution. With these changes, only the white male elite were only able to benefit from these changes, gaining more power, ability to participate in politics and financial success. African Americans, white women, and poor men saw no changed in way of life after winning the war. What the war did was began a quest of reform and revolt from these groups who suffered from injustice.

From 1775 to 1830, many African Americans gained freedom from, yet during the same period the institution towards the southern parts of America to work in plantations. This was the start of new changes that was going to take place that free African Americans and enslaved African Americans. Between 1775 and 1830 was one of the greatest trials that came with many challenges for the African Americans to confront these issues.

In the United States, there has been many cases of Racial injustice. From the beginning of the start of the United States of America it was the injustice to the Native Americans being captured and used for slave labor while their bison be slaughtered for sportsmanship. But this paper is on the specific race of the African Americans. There are many races that have been racially profiled and ostracized by the English people. But the treatment that African Americans have endured even till this day is disheartening. African Americans have gone through enslavement during the early 1600’s to the mid 1800’s. Then the African Americans were obstructed by the Jim Crow laws creating the ‘Separate but Equal” propaganda during the late 1800’s into the 1960’s. After the abolishment of the Jim Crow Laws, people were considered equal until the recent actions of many police officers using deadly force on African American youths in the early 2000’s.

During the Revolution, the British viewed the African American’s in the South as numbers to add to their side of the war and also as a group of individuals to manipulate in warfare (Nash et al., 2008). On the other hand, the American’s viewed the slaves as vulnerable and dangerous. With so much speak of liberty and freedom during the revolution, the African American’s began to petition against the lives they were living as slaves and fought to have their own liberties.

Starting from a slave’s birth, this cruel process leads to a continuous cycle of abuse, neglect, and inhumane treatment. To some extent, slave holders succeed because they keep most slaves so concerned with survival that they have no time or energy to consider freedom. This is particularly true for plantation slaves where the conditions of slave life are the most difficult and challenging. However, slave holders fail to realize the damage they inadvertently inflict on themselves by upholding slavery and enforcing these austere laws and attitudes.

After centuries of being enslaved in the Americas, negroes, otherwise referred to as African Americans, progressively began to fight back in hopes of ascertaining freedom and liberty. Specifically, during the time period of 1550- 1800s, African Americans employed different tactics, that would aid them in gaining their independence. They did so in numerous ways, one of the many examples would include joining in the Revolutionary War. With the mindset, that by doing so, they were fighting for their freedom, this fueled them with enough ambition to fight. Likewise, another way in which African- Americans payed for their freedom was by actually paying for it. Black people could be “liberated” by their masters by paying with labor, or crops.

To really show the horrendous conditions that the slaves endured, the author includes a 1787 replication drawing of the slave ship Brooks. Built in 1781 with a lower deck intended to accommodate 294 slaves, giving each slave a space comparable to the size of a coffin. Adult males were allocated a space six feet long and fifteen inches wide and allowing even less space for adult women, boys, and girls. The height of the same area was just five feet, and did not include any toilet facilities for the slaves. In most cases, the captains would load double the number of slaves their ships were designed for leading to even worse conditions onboard with more mouths to feed but not enough provisions to compensate. Those slaves who died during the journey through the Middle Passage were simply thrown overboard, where their bodies were eaten by ravenous sharks.

An estimated 100,000 African Americans escaped, died or were killed during the American Revolution(Mount). Roughly 95% of African Americans in the United States were slaves, and because of their status, the use of them during the revolution was inevitable(Mount). This led many Americans, especially those from the North, to believe that the South's economy would collapse without slavery due to the use of slaves on the front lines. However, only a small percentage of the slave population enlisted in either army.

According to, “Defenders of Liberty: African-Americans in the Revolutionary War by Michael Lee Lanning”, it was known as “Blacks did not decide to support the rebels or the British based on political agendas but rather on which offered the best chance for personal freedom” 8(p.163). In 1784, General Henry Knox certified a black slave named Romeo Smith the status to be a free man on the day of January 9. 1 The white supporters didn’t know that the Revolution had provided the first large-scale opportunity for blacks to escape their slave owners. African-Americans weren’t allowed to freely protect themselves as they thought they should. There were strict slave codes set up that denied blacks the right to publicly assemble, own weapons, or move

Throughout American history, African Americans have had to decide whether they belonged in the United States or if they should go elsewhere. Slavery no doubtfully had a great impact upon their decisions. However, despite their troubles African Americans made a grand contribution and a great impact on both armed forces of the Colonies and British. "The American Negro was a participant as well as a symbol."; (Quarles 7) African Americans were active on and off the battlefield, they personified the goal freedom, the reason for the war being fought by the Colonies and British. The African Americans were stuck in the middle of a war between white people. Their loyalty was not to one side or another, but to a principle, the principle of liberty.

The Middle Passage has been a focal point of investigation for many historians who are dedicated to comprehending the slave trade. The literature as a whole reveal that slaves asserted autonomy over their social being by committing suicide. This act disrupted the process of transatlantic voyages as slaves surrendered the physical self to reclaim their psychological and social strength. In addition, European perception of suicide shaped the ways in which slave traders and surgeons responded to captives’ means of resistance. Self-inflicted death amongst the enslaved was brought to the attention of British Parliament via testimonies of pro-abolitionists. This essay will explore European attitudes toward suicide, slave suicide as an act of resistance

Others, once given the chance, would jump off the ship and drown themselves. Many more would have other slaves onboard the ship kill them. So not only was the death toll high enough from unsanitary conditions and diseases, even more committed suicide to prevent themselves from a lifetime of slavery.