Collection: American Revolution
American Revolution — Black Patriots Who Fought for a Nation Still Defining Freedom
When the thirteen colonies declared independence from Britain in 1776, thousands of African Americans took up arms — fighting for a nation that had not yet decided whether they deserved to be free. Their service was an act of profound courage, contradiction, and hope.
Key Figures & Units
- Crispus Attucks — a Black man and the first American to die in the Revolution, killed at the Boston Massacre in 1770, five years before the war began
- 1st Rhode Island Regiment — one of the first officially integrated military units in American history, composed largely of enslaved men promised freedom in exchange for service
- Peter Salem — a formerly enslaved soldier who fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill and is credited with killing British Major John Pitcairn
- James Armistead Lafayette — an enslaved man who served as a double agent for General Lafayette, providing intelligence that helped secure the victory at Yorktown
- Estimated 5,000+ Black soldiers and sailors served on the Patriot side throughout the war
The Contradiction They Lived
Black Patriots fought for liberty while living under bondage. Many were promised freedom for their service — promises that were kept for some and broken for others. Their sacrifice helped birth a nation, even as that nation debated their humanity.
Their story is the foundation of Black military service in America — and it begins here.
Our American Revolution collection honors the Black Patriots who answered the first call.
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