Revolutionary Black Patriots
Thousands of Black Troops Fought for Freedom in 1776 American Revolution
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As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday in 2026, historians and reenactors are fighting to keep a critical chapter from being erased. An estimated 5,000 Black soldiers fought on the Patriot side during the American Revolution — serving in integrated units nearly two centuries before the U.S. military was officially desegregated in 1948, according to Press of Atlantic City.
These men fought in what scholars call a "double revolution" — a war for national independence and, for many, a personal fight for freedom. But their story is now at risk of being papered over, even as America marks its semiquincentennial.
From Boston Massacre to Bunker Hill: Black Patriots Led the Way
The revolution's opening acts had Black faces at the front. On March 5, 1770, Crispus Attucks — a man of African and Native American descent — became the first person killed in the conflict, cut down during the Boston Massacre, according to the National Park Service. Five years later, at Lexington and Concord, Black Minutemen like Prince Estabrook stood and fired alongside white colonists.
At the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775, Salem Poor and Peter Salem both distinguished themselves under fire. Poor, a formerly enslaved man who had bought his own freedom, was later commended for bravery by 14 Continental officers. An estimated 225 Black soldiers fought in that single battle alone, according to Crossroads Today.
Washington Reversed His Ban After a British Threat Forced His Hand
When George Washington took command of the Continental Army in July 1775, he banned the enlistment of all Black men — free or enslaved. But just months later, a British move changed everything. On November 7, 1775, Lord Dunmore, the Royal Governor of Virginia, promised freedom to any enslaved person who escaped and fought for the Crown. Thousands fled to the British side, according to Madison.com.
Facing a shrinking army and a flood of defections, Washington reversed course on December 30, 1775, allowing free Black men to reenlist. Rhode Island went further in February 1778, passing a law letting enslaved men enlist in exchange for their freedom, forming the First Rhode Island Regiment — the only all-Black Patriot unit of the war. By the Siege of Yorktown in 1781, Baron von Steuben estimated that nearly one in four soldiers in the Northern Continental Army was Black, according to Tucson.com.
Promises Made, Promises Broken After the War Ended
When the Treaty of Paris was signed in September 1783, most Black veterans did not get what they were promised. Many were denied the land grants and pensions given to white soldiers. The Pension Act of 1818 still required men to prove they were poor — a standard that was harder for Black veterans to meet. Historian Dr. Gary Nash has called the Revolution "the largest slave uprising in American history," arguing that Black Americans used the war's chaos to push for their own status, according to Fredericksburg.com.
An estimated 20,000 Black individuals fled to or actively served with the British, according to historian Maya Jasanoff's book "Liberty's Exiles." Those who stayed and fought for the Patriots helped spark the early abolitionist movement. By 1804, every Northern state had passed legislation to end slavery. But the broken promises to Black veterans remain a defining — and largely untold — part of the founding story, according to Rapid City Journal.
Reenactors and Historians Race to Save These Names Before They Vanish
Today, one of the only groups keeping this history alive is the First Rhode Island Regiment reenactors — the sole all-Black Revolutionary War reenactor unit in the United States. Historical interpreter Kevin Chapman is among those working to portray these forgotten soldiers with accuracy, according to Crossroads Today. The Daughters of the American Revolution's "Forgotten Patriots" project is also working to name as many of the 5,000 as possible before the 250th anniversary.
Scholars are split on what this history means. The Museum of the American Revolution calls these men "Essential Founders" who forced the nation to live up to its own words. Critics from the 1619 Project argue the Revolution was partly fought to protect slavery, making these soldiers tragic figures used by a system that never meant to free them. What both sides agree on: erasing their story would be a mistake America cannot afford to make in 2026, according to Star Herald.
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