Well, we have made it to the final week of the trimester and the final week of school for the year 2020! This week may be short but important learning will still be happening as we touch on the African American experience during the War for Independence.
Only 50 years after the defeat of the British at Yorktown, most Americans had already forgotten the extensive role black people had played on both sides during the War for Independence. At the 1876 Centennial Celebration of the Revolution in Philadelphia, not a single speaker acknowledged the contributions of African Americans in establishing the nation. Yet by 1783, thousands of black Americans had become involved in the war. Many were active participants, some won their freedom and others were victims, but throughout the struggle blacks refused to be mere bystanders and gave their loyalty to the side that seemed to offer the best prospect for freedom.
— Edward Ayres, Historian, American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
Resource Links:
African Americans and the American Revolution | Read the rest of the article by Edward Ayres quoted above.
African Americans and the War for Independence | Another well-written article about the significant role African Americans played in the Revolutionary War.
7 Black Heroes of the American Revolution | Learn about Crispus Attucks, Phyllis Wheatley, and more.
Give me Liberty | “Meet three men who chose different paths during the American Revolution.”
Stories From the Revolution | A brief article about African Americans during the revolutionary period.
Fire & Fury: Ethiopian Brigade of African Americans in the American Revolution | A look at the proclamation by Lord Dunmore to free the slaves of patriots if they fought for the British.
Video Links:
*Parents, please preview for your students first.
History Brief: African Americans in the Revolution | A short video that uses clips from movies and reenactments. May be too intense for some younger grades.
Patriots of the American Revolution | A slightly longer video sharing “the true story of our nation’s black heroes and patriots that played pivotal roles in the U.S.”
Would You Have Joined the American Revolution? | An excellent video that addresses this question by exploring the variety of factors that would have influenced different people groups during the 1770s.
Black Patriots and Loyalists of the American Revolution | This video tells the story of the difficult decisions African Americans had to make as they choose which side to fight on.
Who Won the American Revolution? | Crash Course US History delves into the outcomes of the Revolutionary War. (Recommended for LMS & Up.)
SLO Classical Academy is not affiliated with any of the above-mentioned websites, businesses or organizations.
