Slavery and the Revolutionary War (Essay Sample)

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Slavery and the Revolutionary War
Slavery was one of the established practices in colonial America. Usually, slaves were sold and bought at auctions to work in small households or large plantations. Besides, they were used as payment for services or to earn money for their masters. All the slaves did not have any individual rights, and their fate depended on their owners. The Revolutionary War marked the beginning of efforts to abolish slavery due to the participation of the slaves in the war and the spread of the ideals of freedom and equality.
When the war broke out, the slaves wanted to fight alongside the Patriots for independence. Some of the wealthy landowners such as Alexander Hamilton wanted to create battalions of slaves who would fight against the British in exchange for their freedom (Foner 148). However, the resolution faced resistance from the leaders of the southern states who feared that it would deprive them of a vital economic resource (Foner 153). Later, the slaves who fought alongside the Americans would begin agitating for equality.
The Revolutionary War marked the first vital steps towards fighting against slavery. A lot of the slave owners realized the hypocrisy of fighting for their freedom while they oppressed the blacks. For example, William Whipple, one of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence, supported the emancipation of the slaves (Foner 154). When the war ended, a majority of the blacks went back to their owners after the end of the war. With the spread of the ideas of inaliena