History of the American Revolution
Boyrereau Brinch, also known as Jeffrey Brace, left an account of his experiences and exploits as a light infantryman in General George Washington’s army. In this incredible excerpt of his memoirs, Brinch was confronted by a British Dragoon or horse-soldier. A desperate hand to hand struggle ensued in which he parleyed saber strokes with the …
The number of African American soldiers who stood beside their patriot white comrades in arms during the American Revolutionary War has frequently been dismissed as unimpressive or inconsequential. An incorrect argument can be made to support such an opinion when taking the total number of soldiers who fought the entire war and factoring the ratio …
At the start of the American Revolutionary War, colonies scrambled to enlist men to fight. The northern states readily accepted African Americans in their ranks. Slavery was common throughout the colonies including the northern provinces. New York City had the greatest slave population than any other city and Rhode Island had the highest percentage of …
Josiah Book 1 & Josiah’s Mettle Book 2 Shades of Liiberty is a new action and adventure historical fiction series that chronicles African Americans who fought in the Revolutionary War. Josiah is a blacksmith and runaway slave from Newport, Rhode Island. He, along with other escaped slaves, Scipio and Jeb, forged their marks to …
The Ethiopian Brigade was the brainchild of John Murray, the 4th Earl of Dunmore, Royal Governor Lord Dunmore of Virginia. On November 7, 1775, he issued a proclamation that rattled the chains of slavery; that which fueled the economy of both the northern and southern thirteen rebellious British Colonies in North America. Open warfare had …
The Battle of Red Bank saw four hundred Americans defend Fort Mercer, New Jersey, against 2,000 Hessians resulting in the second most costly defeat for the British forces after the Battle of Bunker Hill. It was an incredible feat of gallantry and determination by Rhode Island ‘rebels’ who doggedly faced the Hessian attackers’ promise that …
O, not in vain did Attucks fall, Or Shaw sink on the death-swept wall: We, who have trod the thorny path, And shrank beneath th’ opressor’s wrath, On hill, in dale, on field and flood, They sealed it with there martyr blood! From Centennial Year by Elijah W. Smith Boston, the fifth of March, 1770. …
Lord Dunmore, Royal Governor of Virginia, lays his knife and fork onto the plate before settling back in his chair. What seemed like tight quarters when he first set foot on the frigate HMS Fowey some months back, his cabin has now become quite comfortable like an old hunting frock. Accepting his second glass of …
Enlist no Stroller, Negro, Or Vagabond General George Washington In 1775, when rhetoric turned to open conflict, some militia commanders welcomed freemen and slaves into their ranks. Twenty percent of the country’s residents were of African heritage with four percent of that number freeman. For many, especially recruiters pressured to meet Congress’ demands for enlistment …
Escaped Slave, British Soldier, and the Greatest Guerrilla Fighter Of the American Revolutionary War It is late fall, 1775. A British officer stares out over the river. The wide mouth of the James River is choked with dark hulls that sit peacefully at their anchors, their towering masts swaying in the stiffening breeze that flows …