Black Patriots and Black Loyalists (Essay Sample)

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Black Patriots and Black Loyalists
Introduction
The Revolutionary War (American Revolutionary War or the American War of Independence) took place between the 19th of April 1775 to the 3rd of September 1783. It involved delegates from thirteen colonies of America in British America who were against Great Britain initiated the War. The leading cause of the War was the United States' independence from the Empire of Britain. The revolutionary War occurred in the Caribbean Sea, North America, and in the England surrounding seas. These included the Irish Sea, the North Sea, and the English Channel.[Crowder, Jack D. African Americans and American Indians in the Revolutionary War. McFarland, 2018.]
The British and American armies extensively participated in the revolutionary War. This meant the native American and British people enrolled in the military took part in the War. However, a significant portion of the African –Americans also participated in the War. They were on either side of the conflicting armies. Some African-Americans took part while siding with the British military, while others sided with the American military. During the War, the ones enrolled in the American army were the Black Patriots, while those in the British army were the Black Loyalists.[Crowder, D. African Americans and American Indians in the Revolutionary War.]
Discussion
African-Americans played significant roles in the Revolutionary War in America. As Black Patriots or Black Loyalists, the African Americans' roles in the Revolutionary War cannot be understated. This is because the participation of the African Americans in the War greatly impacted the course of the War. Without their input or involvement in the War, it would have taken a different approach. Below are how the African Americans played their roles in the revolutionary War.
On the one hand, the Black Patriots served in the American army for an average of four and a half years as compared to their white compatriots, who served for half a year on average. This means that the service Black Patriots provided in the American military was an average of eight times what the White soldiers provided. The American armies heavily relied on the service and the labor of Black patriots in the military. Then Black Patriots also played supportive roles to the American troops. This means that in addition to being on the front line of the War, Black Patriots also had additional roles to play in the American armies. For example, carrying riffles from one camp to the other during the War was heavily the Black Patriots' role. They were also supposed to service the riffles to use during the War.[Cabral, Patrick. Black Patriots in the American Revolutionary War: The Untold Story. CreateSpace, 2015.]
Furthermore, Black patriots nursed and looked after the soldiers who either got injured during the War or fell ill. Although they may not have possessed the exact skills and training their White compatriots had, Black Patriots greatly aided the American military's functionality. Also, the Black Patriots handed packaged food and ammunition needed by the soldiers during the War. They would ferry the food as the soldiers moved during the fight.[Cabral. Black Patriots in the American Revolutionary War:] [Cabral. Black Patriots in the American Revolutionary War.]
However, the Black Loyalists were African –American slaves lured to serve in the British army under the promise that whoever served as a loyalist would be set free after the War, regardless of their age or gender. This promise attracted many slaves who Patriots owned to go and serve in the British army as Black Loyalists. In the British military, Black Loyalists played significant roles to aid the British course of the War. The African Americans enrolled in a large regiment called the Black Company of Pioneers. Under this regiment, Black Loyalists were majorly supposed to play supportive roles to the British military. Some of the functions assigned to them included attending to the scavengers and assisting in cleaning the streets.[Taylor, Wanda L. Birchtown and the Black Loyalists. Nimbus Pub, 2015.]
The Black loyalists tidied up the roads from where the British armies operated. They were supposed to remove any dirt and waste that was in the streets. Most Black Company of Pioneers members did not possess elite military skills and techniques. They did not receive similar training with the white army officers in the British army. During the War, a lot of newsiances would be discarded in the stress. Since the soldiers were actively engaged in battle, the Black Loyalists were supposed to take the newsiances off the streets. The Black Loyalists mostly performed these roles while stationed in Philadelphia. Also, during the War, some black Loyalists raided and fought Patriot settlements in New Jersey under the leadership and command of Colonel Tye. The Black loyalists were in the front line in the raiding of the Patriot settlements, while Colonel Tye's rol