Slavery and The American Revolution Research Assignment (Essay Sample)

Slavery and the American Revolution
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Slavery and the American Revolution
Liberty and desire for freedom were the greatest, as well as the strongest motives for the slaves who enlisted in the British Armies during the Revolution. Other bondmen joined the Patriot Movements, whereas the free African Americans enrolled in the armies from their volitions. Moreover, some slaves joined the rebel forces for the purpose of meeting their desires for adventure and the belief in the course of freedom of the enslaved through the Revolution. In addition, the British promised great bounties for slaves in the form of freedom, liberty, and monetary rewards. Slaves contributed significantly to the American Revolution by fighting for both warring factions in the name of freedom and liberty.
By the 1760s, the British tyranny was growing, and the colonists showed no resolve to contain slavery. More than half a million slaves were living in America’s original thirteen states by the year 1775. Their growing numbers and instability prompted the conscientious Quakers and ministers from England to raise a warning to the federal authorities of the impending revolution and the war, but most of their predictions were not heeded properly.The Americans reacted to the contradicting position the British had taken by advocating for freedom and liberty of the slaves, at the same time owning and keeping them.Abigail Adams commentedonthis effect by stating that ‘we should not be fighting ourselves while denying freedom to those who so deserve liberty as we have.’ The great talk about the possibility of freedom and liberty for the servantsgave the enslaved African-American high expectations, and they moved swiftly to align themselves with the wing that assured them of their freedom. That is precisely what prompted the democratic American Revolution.
It is a fact that by the year 1783, a majority of African-Americans had enrolled in large numbers in the war for liberty (Rossignol, 2013). A good number of the slaves participated actively in the battle, whereas others ended up as captives and victims. Both at the Bunker Hill and in Lexington,two out of three soldiers in the battle towards the Revolution fought against the British tyranny. Slaves constituted a big part of this great battalion, the most famous of them being the Salem, Peter and his brother Poor. In the year 1775, Virginia’s Governor Dunmore formed the so-called Ethiopian Regiment, which enlisted blacks, despite the fact that the British had earlier on opposed such a move so vehemently. These slaves formed the initial force that inspired the rest of the African-Americans into the Revolution. Lord Dunmore managed to entice more than eight hundred slaves to fight the cause for their masters. The trend continued and reached a point where the loyal forces expelled the rebels out of Virginia.
Such an active involvement of bondmen in the fight for independence cannot be explained solely by enforcement. Slaves fought with courage and enthusiasm for a country which was not even a homeland for the Africans. Hence, they had a personal reason and interest to engage in the revolutionary war. The most important gift that the enslaved could wish for was freedom. Thus, they were longing to become independent and supported any party that promised to liberate them. A major characteristic of the relationship between the Revolution and slavery is that most of the slaves joined the team that seemed to offer them a way out of the harsh, short, and brutish life, hence they were a critical component to the success of the Revolution.
By the time of the gaining of independence in 1776, it became apparent that the founding fathers had not involved slaves in their rhetoric on freedom of the person (Rossignol, 2013). The enslaved Africans therefore were still subject to the master-and-worker relationship after the independence. It was perplexing that the Declaration of Independence had excluded the oppressed from the definition of free people; thus, despite the fact that the slaves had fought for the American course, the constitution did not grant them liberty. The Congress alsofailed to include the slaves and African-Americans into the bracket of free men and women.
In just fifty years after defeating the British forces at Yorktown, the nation had forgotten the great role that slaves played in the two camps in the fight for independence. During the Centennial Anniversary of 1876, no speaker that addressed the public appreciated the contribution that slaves madetothe creation of the great American nation. Therefore, in spite of the immense input of slaves to the establishment of an independent state, the nation remained ungrateful, and the importance of slavery to the revolutionary war is still undervalued.
A majority of the enslaved African-Americans werediscouraged bythe exclusion in the Declaration of Independence but still took arms to fight against British imperialism in New England. Most of the states failed to procure the expected numbers into their quotas, and, as they found this feat difficult, they turned to the potential pool of slaves for these critical human resources that were so much needed. A majority of states beyond the Potomac enlisted the black African-Americans into the services and promised freedom in return. As a result of the anger, more than eight thousand slaves joined the cause as either soldiers on the battlefield, non-combatant officers, or other roles in the seas.
During their service in the army fighting for independence, slaves accomplished many varied tasks. Many states enacted laws that gave the white ownerspower to sell their slaves to the army in return for a significant bounty. The slaves also acted as substitutes where the sons of the masters failed to enter into the military forces. In southern states, the military armed the slaves for an active service, seeing them acquire skills in the process, a factor which helped them a great deal later during the revolution.The slaves served as chefs and observers as well as accomplished their routine tasks of cooking and acting as waiters for their masters. Some also pulled wagons for the military men and the infantry. These slaves performed so well in the battles that in Yorktown, an observer is noted to have written the following words: ‘That the soldiers, including the slaves, were the most neatly dressed, very good with their arms, and precise in their movements’.Slaves played a significant role in the South during the Revolutionary War as pilots and seamen. The South used both the free and the enslaved African-Americans. The slaves were recruited into the army and had no objections to their participation in th...