African American And The American Revolution

The American Revolution resonated with all classes of society, as it stood to divide a nation’s loyalties and recreate the existing fabric of society. During the 1770s to mid 1780s, no group living in the British American colonies was left unaffected. For blacks enslaved in America, the war presented the fleeting possibility of freedom in a nation that was still dependent on an economic structure of oppression and bondage. For those blacks that were free, they chose their alliances wisely in hopes of gaining economic opportunities and improving their status in the American colonies. The American Negroes, whether free or enslaved, could be found on either side of the battlefront. They took on many different roles, some fighting on the

Enlightenment had a significant effect on African Americans during the revolutionary era due to the nature of John Locke’s arguments. Consequently, when these arguments were made the African Americans listened, understood, and interpreted very well that the British settlers were demanding liberty for themselves while contradictorily denying the slaves of their basic human rights. In addition to the African Americans understanding said arguments, there were Caucasian people who believed that blacks were entitled to share these basic human rights as well. Therefore, it gave African Americans hope that there would soon be a change in favor of their civil rights as well as the courage to protest, litigate, escape, and or fight against the powers

The American Revolution was an important sequence of events over a period of time that has affected early American society up to today’s modern society. It all started with the Revolutionary War, which led to the Declaration of Independence from Britain, and in turn created a reason for America to write the Constitution and develop their own government. Ideas of equality became a major point of the Revolution, and although it wasn’t very quick to happen, ideas eventually spread throughout the colonies, giving the equality that poor to middle classes, African American slaves, and women deserved.

Let us start with the introduction of this book: “Freedom, Slavery, and the Legacy of the American Revolution”, in which Levine wrote, “It altered the internal structure of American society more profoundly than having the Revolution”. (p. 3) Levine continues

The origins and development of slavery within Britain’s North American colonies in the period 1607 to 1776 was majorly in part by the English need for economic power. England had just arose as the strongest naval of the North Atlantic had they had to keep their high standing in the world. Bacon’s Rebellion, the profit received by cash crops, and the ability to easily purchase slaves through trade highly boosted Britain’s economy. The colonists within the British colony kept through economic standing and power by making themselves higher than any other through slavery.

The Revolutionary War was fought on principles of liberty, freedom, and justice for all - but when the dust had settled, and the Constitution finally agreed upon, the American people still owned slaves. The right to own other people was a cornerstone of American culture, and a major driver of its economy - it was unlikely to simple go away. Ironically, patriots would use a great deal of anti-slavery rhetoric to illustrate their struggle against the British, but in the aftermath of revolution, it became clear that “all men” did not include black men. Slavery, as it is properly understood, is a terrible institution that relies on oppression. Oftentimes, it used brutality and torture to keep productivity high. Such an oppressive system invites

In their demands for liberty and equality, African Americans would point to their role in all of America’s wars. Many fought for liberty in the American Revolution, like Philadelphia’s James Forten who served aboard an American privateer.

Although slavery is no longer an issue in the modern era, it was an important predicament from 1776 to 1852. This conflict split America in half, those for slavery and those opposed to slavery. As time passed, the opposition to slavery grew tremendously. Starting with America’s Declaration of Independence where it states “we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Starting with the creation of America, there have been those opposed to slavery, holding the Declaration of Independence as a weapon against it specifically because “all men are created equal.”

The Revolutionary War affect enslaved African American in a major way. The Revolution brought freedom to slaves. Even the slaves that had escaped in the chaos of war was free. Thousands of slaves left South Carolina and Georgia when those states where evacuated. Some of these people remained free, while others ended up as slaves in the British Caribbean. The Revolution brought freedom to slaves who joined the armies (Finkelman, 2008). The Revolutionary War brought about change to all people “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. However, African American in the American Revolution war was something that was done against their will. African American had no choice to take part in war because they had no legal rights. After Cornwallis' surrender, the Americans rounded up the surviving blacks for re-enslavement. This was when the French soldiers ambushed Cornwallis' men at Yorktown, Virginia, the

An estimated 100,000 African Americans escaped, died or were killed during the American Revolution(Mount). Roughly 95% of African Americans in the United States were slaves, and because of their status, the use of them during the revolution was inevitable(Mount). This led many Americans, especially those from the North, to believe that the South's economy would collapse without slavery due to the use of slaves on the front lines. However, only a small percentage of the slave population enlisted in either army.

Before the American revolution, women, African slaves, and Native Americans all had little rights and after the war, either continued with these rights or lost even more. Women before the war were treated like property and were not allowed to own land or inherit her family’s wealth. African slaves were treated like this as well, although they were also bound in slavery for life, as were any children they had. For Native Americans, they continued to lose their land and fight against the colonists to keep it. White males on the other hand, experienced many advantages over these minorities, since they believed them to be inferior. In the newly independent colonies, white males experienced both continuity and change with their rights and most were positive, giving them more freedoms and rights. However, women, African slaves, and Native Americans experienced continuity and change in a more negative way, their small amount of rights being kept the same or lessened and given no social mobility or influence over the new, independent country.

The American revolution was an inspiration to black people they hope the words of the patriots would apply equally to them, but they were wrong there was 700,000 slaves in the united states at its birth they had no rights and no power yet they determined hold america to its ideals there struggle would last for generation. Chapel massachusetts at the time before the time of america country this was slave country slavery was legal here just as it was in each of the 13 colonies, but the revolution brought new laws to this land one slave began to test these laws her name was Macbeth she heard talk about a new constitution that said all men were free so Mambeth decided to act.

Throughout American history, African Americans have had to decide whether they belonged in the United States or if they should go elsewhere. Slavery no doubtfully had a great impact upon their decisions. However, despite their troubles African Americans made a grand contribution and a great impact on both armed forces of the Colonies and British. "The American Negro was a participant as well as a symbol."; (Quarles 7) African Americans were active on and off the battlefield, they personified the goal freedom, the reason for the war being fought by the Colonies and British. The African Americans were stuck in the middle of a war between white people. Their loyalty was not to one side or another, but to a principle, the principle of liberty.

Minorities from the late 18th century to early 19th century faced an uphill battle when trying to gain equal rights. Many setbacks like the invention of the cotton gin, the trail of tears, and the constant fight for women’s suffrage held back Women, Native Americans, and African Americans. During this period of hardship, many of these groups still greatly contributed to America’s national identity and culture and helped each other out. Abigail Adams was the first lady during the turn of the century and fought for slave’s rights and women’s rights, Phillis Wheatley was a published African American woman who wrote about slavery, Sacagawea helped Lewis and Clark explore America, and many more minorities contributed to society and culture in America.

Furthermore, one may see that the revolution brought no change in the hierarchy in American society as it was the white men on top of it, with black slaves, native Americans, and women below them before the revolution and after the revolution. Instead of the British being those white men, however, it was the Americans. This claim is reinforced by rising slave numbers from after the revolution heading into the Civil War. According to the United States Census Bureau from 1790 to 1860, the total slave population went up from just 694,207 to almost 4 million. However, this goes against the claim by the revolutionaries that “all men are created equal”, for if the revolutionaries held true to this claim, slavery numbers should be going down. Not only do the slavery numbers go up, they are going up at an exponential rate.