During The Revolutionary War
 Nearly 1/2 million African
Americans were slaves
 The entire Population was only a
little over 2 million people
 At lest 12 African-Americans
were among those who stood on
the green at Lexington and
Concord in 1775
 5,000 African Americans served
in the Revolutionary War that
was 1/16 of the total Continental
Army!
 At first, George Washington
didn’t let slaves into the army.
 He changed his mind when he
heard that thousands of slaves
had joined the British.
 Washington also didn’t have
enough soldiers.
 He changed his rule and by 1778
there were 54 African Americans
in each of his 54 brigades...
Crispus Attucks was one of the
first men to die for American
freedom in the Boston
Massacre.
 Armistead, was a spy for
the rebels.
 The British thought he
just his slave, and he was
able to overhear
important facts which he
brought back to the
Continental army.
 James Forten was a freeman.
 He worked as a sailor and was
captured by the British and was
held as a prisoner of war.
 The captain of the British ship
offered to send James to England
for an education with his own son.
 Forten refused to be a traitor to his
country. The captain then traded
him for a British prisoner.
 Phillis Wheatley was born in
Africa and brought to Boston in
1761.
The Wheatleys (the family that
owned her), allowed Phillis time
to study and write. As early as
1765, she was writing poetry.
 Her last known poem was written
for George Washington. It praised
the general for his appointment
to be Commander of the
Continental Army.
 Lemuel Haynes was a
minister and served a
white church.
 In 1774, Haynes
became a soldier.
 He wrote a famous
sermon about the
Battle of Lexington.
 The Battle of Stony Point might have
been lost without the help of Pompey
Lamb.
 He delivered fruits and vegetables to the
British. The British trusted Lamb and
gave him the password to make his
deliveries easier.
 He brought two American officers
dressed as farmers on his delivery.
 They quickly overpowered the guards
and were joined by the rest of the
army. The battle ended quickly with the
Americans taking the fort.
1. Pretend you are an African American or slave during the
time of the Revolutionary War.
You want to be able to fight for the country and be a
respected soldier like anyone else.
2. Write a letter to George Washington explaining why you
think he should allow you to fight in the war against the
British.
Your letter should have:
1. a greeting
2. a statement of what you would like from him
3. (3) reasons why he should allow you to fight in the war
4. a closing with your signature