Today in our History – April 19, 1775 - Black Minutemen fought British Soldiers at Lexington and Concord.

GM – LIF – Today’s American Champion event the American Revolution, gaining freedom was the strongest motive for black slaves who joined the Patriot or British armies. The free blacks may have been drafted or enlisted at his own volition.

Additional motives for those who joined the rebel American forces could have been a desire for adventure, belief in the goals of the Revolution, or the possibility of receiving a bounty.

Bounties were both monetary payments and the chance to be given freedom; they were promised to those who joined either side of the war. Free blacks in the North and South fought on both sides of the Revolution; slaves were recruited to weaken those masters who supported the opposing cause.

Recent research concludes there were 9,000 blacks occupying both combative and supportive roles in the Patriot side of the war, counting the Continental Army and Navy, and state militia units, as well as privateers, wagoners in the Army, servants to officers, spies, and support roles. As between 200,000 and 250,000 soldiers and militia served during the revolution in total that would mean black soldiers made up approximately four percent of the Patriots' numbers.

Of the 9,000 black soldiers, 5,000 were combat dedicated troops. Notably, the average length of time in service for an African American soldier during the war was four and a half years (due to many serving for the whole eight-year duration), which was eight times longer than the average period for white soldiers. Meaning that while they were only four percent of the manpower base, they comprised around a quarter of the Patriots' strength in terms of man-hours, though this includes supportive roles.

In contrast, about 20,000 escaped slaves joined and fought for the British army. Much of this number was seen after Dunmore's Proclamation, and subsequently, the Philipsburg Proclamation issued by Sir Henry Clinton. Though between only 800–2,000 slaves reached Dunmore himself, the publication of both proclamations incentive nearly 100,000 slaves to escape across the American Colonies, many lured by the promise of freedom.

Crispus Attucks was shot dead by British soldiers in the Boston Massacre in 1770 after he shouted, "Kill them! Kill them! Knock them over!" while the soldiers were being battered with shells, ice, and coal by a mob armed with clubs. He is considered an iconic martyr of Patriots.

Remember – "Every able-bodied negro, mulatto, or Indian man slave" who chose to do so, and that "every slave so enlisting shall, upon his passing muster before Colonel Christopher Greene, be immediately discharged from the service of his master or mistress, and be absolutely free...." - General Varnum -1st Rhode Island Regiment.

Today in our History – April 19, 1775 - Black and White Minutemen fought British Soldiers at Lexington and Concord.

Prior to the revolution, many free African Americans supported the anti-British cause, most famously Crispus Attucks believed to be the first person killed at the Boston Massacre. At the time of the American Revolution, some blacks had already enlisted as Minutemen. Both free and enslaved Africans had served in private militias, especially in the North, defending their villages against attacks by Native Americans. ar with promises of freedom, but many were put back into slavery after the conclusion of the war.

In April 1775, at Lexington and Concord, blacks responded to the call and fought with Patriot forces. Prince Estabrook was wounded some time during the fighting on 19 April, probably at Lexington. The Battle of Bunker Hill also had African-American soldiers fighting along with white Patriots, such as Peter Salem; Salem Poor, Barzillai Lew, Blaney Grusha, Titus Coburn, Alexander Ames, Cato Howe, and Seymour Burr.

American states had to meet quotas of troops for the new Continental Army, and New England regiments recruited black slaves by promising freedom to those who served in the Continental Army. During the course of the war, about one-fifth of the northern army was black. At the Siege of Yorktown in 1781, Baron Closen, a German officer in the French Royal Deux-Ponts Regiment, estimated the American army to be about one-quarter black.

Because of manpower shortages at sea, both the Continental Navy and Royal Navy signed African Americans into their navies. Even southern colonies, which worried about putting guns into the hands of slaves for the army, had no qualms about using blacks to pilot vessels and to handle the ammunition on ships.

In state navies, some African Americans served as captains: South Carolina had significant numbers of black captains.

Some African Americans had been captured from the Royal Navy and used by the Patriots on their vessels.

There were many in the war.

Revolutionary leaders began to be fearful of using blacks in the armed forces. They were afraid that slaves who were armed would rise against them. Slave owners became concerned that military service would eventually free their people.

In May 1775, the Massachusetts Committee of Safety enrolled slaves in the armies of the colony. The action was adopted by the Continental Congress when they took over the Patriot Army. But Horatio Gates in July 1775 issued an order to recruiters, ordering them not to enroll "any deserter from the Ministerial army, nor any stroller, negro or vagabond. . ." in the Continental Army. Most blacks were integrated into existing military units, but some segregated units were formed.

Congress in 1776 agreed with Washington and authorized re-enlistment of free blacks who had already served. Patriots in South Carolina and Georgia resisted enlisting slaves as armed soldiers. African Americans from northern units were generally assigned to fight in southern battles. In some Southern states, southern black slaves substituted for their masters in Patriot service.

In 1778, Rhode Island was having trouble recruiting enough white men to meet the troop quotas set by the Continental Congress. The Rhode Island Assembly decided to adopt a suggestion by General Varnum and enlist slaves in 1st Rhode Island Regiment.

A total of 88 slaves enlisted in the regiment over the next four months, joined by some free blacks. The regiment eventually totaled about 225 men; probably fewer than 140 were blacks. The 1st Rhode Island Regiment became the only regiment of the Continental Army to have segregated companies of black soldiers.

Under Colonel Greene, the regiment fought in the Battle of Rhode Island in August 1778. The regiment played a fairly minor but still-praised role in the battle. Its casualties were three killed, nine wounded, and eleven missing.

Like most of the Continental Army, the regiment saw little action over the next few years, as the focus of the war had shifted to the south. In 1781, Greene and several of his black soldiers were killed in a skirmish with Loyalists. Greene's body was mutilated by the Loyalists, apparently as punishment for having led black soldiers against them. Forty of the black men in his unit were also killed.

A Monument to the First Rhode Island Regiment memorializing the bravery of the black soldiers that fought and died with Greene was erected in 1982 in Yorktown Heights, New York. Research more about these great American Champions and share them with your babies. Make it a champion day!