George Washington's Army was Majority Black

[demnan]

Did you all know that George Washington's troops during the Revolutionary War were 75% African-American?

I sure didn't. Just heard a historian on PBS "Fresh Air". This guy wrote a book about Washington called The Impefect God - mostly this is about how Washington freed all his slaves at the end of his life.

Interesting.

[stopthegop]

1. might want a second source for that... n/t

eom

[brainshrub]

2. Really?

Now this is something I thought I would have known by now. Wow! Does anyone have a link to the story?
I hope it's true.

[tom_paine]

3. Not to be racist or anything, but I would need to see a link for that

I know that Freedmen fought for the Colonial Army, but 75%?!?

That seems a bit much. I'm not rejecting it out of hand, but I would definitely need some relaible corrboration opn this before I even began to raise it up on my internal list from "Most likely untrue" to "Hmmm. Possibly true"

Got a link?

[Screaming Lord Byron]

4. Are you sure about that? I'd be very doubtful.

[Faygo Kid]

5. Not true, however. . .

The Revolutionary Army had the HIGHEST percentage of black soldiers in any American conflict until the Vietnam War. No need to exaggerate; it's a wonderful, untold story without the bad history.

[northzax]

9. not that great of a story

when you think that the several colonies were required to provide certain numbers of men for the Army. who where the most expendable men to send? who were the cheapest?
on the other hand, who were the officers?

funny, I bet they aren't the same answers. I see nothing wonderful about a story in which white folk provided black folk as cannon fodder, do you?

[northzax]

6. when?

washington's Continental Army, flucuated in size between 5 and 25 thousand men over the course of several years.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

8. That is a good point. There may be a specific point, say

after Valley Forge when the Army was very small, that this could have been true.
Also, Does this count support troops like teamsters and such? That would raise the % even more.

[Bucky]

11. Either way, the numbers are being juggled to prove a pre-assumed point

Whether it's a distortion of data or an honestly believed error, it's still wrong. Truth in history is more important than comforting our prejudices of the present.

(edited for spelling)

[HereSince1628]

7. I trust that about as much as I do the one about C. Am.

pyramids being designed by Egyptians.

BTW. Posting this in the Lounge was a correct choice.

[Bucky]

10. Both these facts are wrong

There were certainly a large number of African-American troops in the armies fighting for the Revolution, but nowhere near a majority, much less 75%. The author on Fresh Air has his facts wrong.

OTOH I wouldn't be surprised if the real fact intended, but somewhere lost in communication, is taht 75% of the black Americans fighting in the war were fighting for the British. The Brits were the first to offer freedom to any slave who would pick up a gun and fight for his king. Washington later met that offer out of necessity.

The unsegregated forces of the Revolutionary War is one of the great untold stories of that war. Washington was no doubt influenced in his views on the rights and destiny of African-Americans in the country by the valor and patriotism of his black soldiers.

Unfortunately, this influence did not extend to Washington actually freeing his own slaves. To be fair, he did this in part out of paternalism. He was concerned about his people's welfare in a racist society where many lacked the skills to be successful.

He didn't free his slaves on his death. However, he did plan to free his slaves upon the death of Martha. Unfortunately he didn't plan very well. By the time Martha died, 3 years after George, the Mt Vernon estate was so far in debt that Washington's executor, nephew Bushrod Washington, needed to sell off the slaves to balance the accounts. Only a handful were ever freed.

I'm a big fan of Washington's, but he didn't acquit himself too well on this issue at the end of his life, even by the standards of his day.