Introduction
The American Revolution is one of the most significant uprisings in American history. The war began in 1775 and ended in 1783 resulting in the independence of these thirteen states. African Americans played critical roles that impacted the outcome of the war. They provided cheap and reliable military force and labor since they were promised freedom upon completion of service; this was a significant motivator. Over 20000 Black people became loyalist soldiers while another 9000 became patriot soldiers (Klein). One of the most influential patriot soldiers was James Armistead Lafayette, born to slave parents in New Kent, Virginia (Gruber). He enlisted as a patriot in Marquis de Lafayette’s unit. He was then assigned a spying job where he had to infiltrate the loyalist army by posing as a runaway slave. In my view, the revolution was contradictory regarding the role Black people played in the revolution since some African Americans fought with their White enslavers to overthrow the colonial masters. To demonstrate these contradictions, I intend to use various credible and relevant academic sources exploring African involvement in the Revolutionary War.
Historical Review
During the Revolutionary War, many African Americans joined the war in support of both sides. Some joined the Loyalist Army, while others joined the patriot army. The enlisting of Black people was motivated by the promise of freedom and the right to own property (Coleman). Enslaved Africans played significant roles during the revolution; they provided labor and military force to both sides of the war. For instance, James Armistead Lafayette was a double spy working for the patriots’ army. He joined the war under General Marquis Lafayette, where he was tasked with infiltrating the British army under the pretense of being an escaped enslaved person. This plan was successful since there were many runaway slaves at the time. He worked as a laborer in the British camp and later became a spy for the British. He would give wrong information to the British and leak their plans to the patriots, which contributed to the Continental Army’s success.
American Revolution in Georgia illustrates how the war impacted the livelihood of the people in Georgia. The author elaborates on the economic, political, and social effects and the probable causes of the war (Coleman and O’Shaughnessy 1-39). Some primary factors that culminated in the War of Independence comprised increased taxation, the Boston Massacre and Tea Party, and the implementation of oppressive legislation and Acts. During the war, the revolutionaries proposed values that attracted more people to join the patriots, including liberty, equality, and independence (Drushel). The values rallied more people against the loyalist forces, which contributed to the victory of the patriots’ army. Nonetheless, these values were contradictory since Black people fought in the war but were denied freedom and independence.
Major Factors of the Revolution
The formation of the United States of America was influenced by duties, taxes, and intolerable Acts. The Insufferable Act of 1774 was passed after the Boston Tea Party; the crown passed the law intending to oppress revolutionary uprisings among the people (Jones 91-140). Some of the regulations enacted by the legislative Acts included closing all ports in Boston, the East Indian Company to be compensated for the losses it had incurred, and all public gatherings being banned. The crown government became unpopular among the people, creating an opportunity to form the first Congress Congress. The Continental Congress Congress mobilized an army which later led to the Revolutionary War.
The crown government passed oppressive tax laws demanding taxes on various goods and basic needs. For instance, the Stamp Act of 1765 was introduced to collect more tax revenue for the crown government of printed materials (Coleman and O’Shaughnessy 1-39). This led to many revolts against the government until it withdrew the Act. Another tax the British government enacted was the Townshend duty, and the Act entailed a series of taxes imposed on various products. The colonies were outraged by these exorbitant taxes thus resulted in riots and hence the revolution.
The Boston massacre is considered the inevitable factor that led to the beginning of the American war for independence. Public members attacked the British soldiers with snowballs out of frustration due to the British government’s oppressive laws and livelihood (Coleman and O’Shaughnessy 1-39). These soldiers began shooting the civilians, which left many dead and many others injured. This angered the colonies more, and thus, they resulted in retaliation hence the Revolutionary War.
Key Themes
Lafayette portrayed the theme of race during the Revolutionary Era. He was Black and born to enslaved people; thus, he was condemned to slavery by default. Furthermore, despite completing his mission, he was denied freedom and society because of his race. For instance, when he petitioned against his master for receding his promise of freedom, the justice system deprived him of his legal rights. Being a slave, Lafayette was in the lower social class, which meant he barely had rights. He belonged to his master; additionally, he could not enlist in the war without permission from his master Mr. Armistead (Coleman). His plea for freedom would not be granted, but a single letter from Mr. Lafayette Marquis was enough since he was an upper-class member. Lafayette was an enslaved man; as such, he needed to enlist upon his master’s command. In addition, being a man meant that he would be the breadwinner as such, he had to enlist to be free and thus ensure his family was no longer enslaved.
Conclusion
The American Revolution was contradictory since the Black people fought with the White patriots against the loyalist army but were denied their freedom. Furthermore, revolutionaries advocated for equality, liberty, and freedom from their British masters, yet they refused to do the same for their slaves. It was contradictory how some African Americans joined their oppressive masters. The revolution era exposed African Americans’ enlightenment on equality, freedom, and liberation; as such, they began to push for their independence. The revolution influenced the lives of Black people concerning social, political, and cultural aspects. Politically they began to push for political representation and the right to vote. They pressed for the right to own property like their White counterparts. African Americans instigated their freedom of worship and that movement. There was increased activism against slavery which led to emancipation by the Northern colonies. Many enslaved people were consequently freed while others escaped, resulting in increased racial hatred from the White community.
Works Cited
Coleman Kenneth and Andrew Jackson O’Shaughnessy. The American Revolution in Georgia 1763-1789. University of Georgia Press 2021
Coleman, Colette. “7 Black Heroes of the American Revolution.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2020, Web.
Drushel, Diana R. “Songs of the Revolution: Patriotism and Contradictions.” (2013). Web.
Gruber, Kate Egner. “Black Spies of the American Revolution.” American Battlefield Trust, Web.
Jones T. Cole. Captives of Liberty: Prisoners of War and the Politics of Vengeance in the American Revolution. 1st ed. University of Pennsylvania Press 2020.
Klein, Christopher. “How Enslaved Men Who Fought for the British Were Promised Freedom.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, Web.