F36.4B

F36.4B British or Continental Army? An African American's Choice

 -Williamsburg, Virginia 1780-The Revolutionary War....both sides of this war have a need for many recruits. This need for man power creates a decision of life changing proportions for many African Americans both enslaved and free. Who will they join, the British Army or the Continental Army? Each African American who has, is or will make this choice is in a most difficult position for whichever side they choose to join the other will want to get "revenge" because they did not choose their side instead. The horrific reality is that African Americans are one of many types of people who are stuck in the middle of this war and experiencing the worst of it.

 Now that this Revolutionary War is under way many African Americans have to chose whether they will "stay home" or enlist in either the British or Continental armies. This decision poses many life threatening situations for them.

 At the beginning of the war African Americans weren't allowed to fight on the American side, the men saw it as a bad thing and the did not trust an African with a weapon of any sort. this gave the British a chance to recruit the Africans and build up their army before the war. As soon as George Washington realized that the British were gaining men quickly, he convinced the Continental Congress to allow slaves to enlist. Since then, Africans enslaved or free have been fighting for their freedom but continue to face many difficult choices along the way.

 How is this decision life threatening? Well whatever side they may chose the other will become more "hostile" because they just lost potential man power to the opponent. If an African American joins the British Army upon being a runaway slave or "free" they are in danger of being captured by patriots of the Continental Army during the war and being severely punished or even hung. If an African American joins the Continental Army they risk being captured by the British and being sold or severely punished. This life altering choice became an ordeal for many African Americans because of one British general who was the first to allow free and enslaved African Americans into his army in Virginia. From there the situation continues to escalade.

 Though there were few African American soldiers at the beginning of this revolution, more continue to "show up" The very first African slaves at least allowed into either army were in Virginia when a British General said he would take both free and enslaved blacks into his army and slaves who ran away to join it would be given freedom (1775). Their numbers quickly grew along with the areas in which they served and now there are even small units of blacks in Rhode Island, Massachusettes and Haiti. These numbers continue to grow quickly and have increased largely since George Washington unbanned black enlistment for the entire Continental Army. Though blacks started off only fighting in times of absolute military crisis, they now fight alongside many other brave men at whatever time duty calls. It was said, "Three times in succession, African Americans were attacked by British troops, and three times did they successfully repel the assault and preserve our army from capture" (American soldier, Battle of Bunker Hill) This hard work and slow progression of participation in the war has greatly changed many people's thoughts on African Americans.

 Why was it hard for the African men to chose sides, you might ask. Well because the different sides had different offers. The British said that if the African slaves ran away from their PATRIOT masters and joined their side that after the war they would be free men. A British officer claimed "At least 500 African slaves came to me seeking freedom" (British Soldier, Revolutionary War). If the men were to join the American side they would fight hard through the war in hopes that at the end they would earn some civil rights. they also hoped that slavery would come to an end if the Americans won the war. But for each choice there were consequences. If the African slaves joined the British side and had ran away from their LOYALIST master, after the war they would be returned to the plantation and did not earn freedom like they were promised. Also if the African men joined the British they had the chance of being caught and then hung by the American Patriots. If the men had chosen to join the American side, they had the chance of being caught by the British soldiers and then sold back into slavery. This is why the African men had a hard time choosing sides in the war.

-Reported By-Cameron Goldston and Barbie Kalta