The Patriots’ rhetoric of the American Revolution, intended to inspire white men to take up arms against the British, ultimately drove black men to unite with the British. This paradox served to strengthen Patriot resolve against the British while motivating African American slaves to rebel. African American slaves understood the principles behind the freedoms American colonists wanted from the British. Ironically, the slaves also knew the Patriots would not grant them the same liberties the Patriots wanted for themselves. In order to secure liberty, black Americans had to fight on the side of the British. For black Americans to achieve liberty, white Americans must lose. The British used the southern plantation owner’s fear of slave uprising to British advantage by inciting rebellion through means such as Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation, which guaranteed liberty to any slave who joined the Loyalists. Incitement of slaves by the British strengthened the Patriots’ resolve against the British. African-Americans’ potential liberty threatened the American slaveholders’ economy; they fought against the British in order to retain their right to keep their slave property. Post war, Patriot-owned slaves who fought for the British seeking emancipation found varying degrees of success relocating in the West Indies, Canada, England, and Sierra Leone. Patriot-owned slaves who stayed in the newly liberated United States of America remained enslaved for the next eighty years.
| Presenter: | Judith Littlejohn (Undergraduate Student) |
|---|---|
| Topic: | History |
| Location: | 122 Hartwell |
| Time: | 11:15 am (Session II) Please note that presentation times are approximate. If you are interested in attending sessions with multiple presentations, please be in the room at the start of the session. |
Collaborative Training Dinner
5 pm - 7 pm
Faculty Staff Convocation
8:30 am - 10:30 am
Collaborative Training
1 pm - 5:30 pm
Red Cross Blood Drive
11 am - 4 pm
