African American slaves were noted in various conflicts during the Revolutionary War and their first major appearance was with the British. This can be traced to an event that took place April 19th, 1775 in Lexington, KY. A slave by the name of Prince Easterbrooks was one of the very first soldiers to be shot at Concord Bridge. He was just one of the many faces that would grace the Revolutionary War scene at such conflicts as Bunker Hill, Concord, and Lexington. Granted that very few if any blacks were ever given the chance to carry arms by either sides; however, the Patriots were very late in their decision to allow blacks to fight. The jobs that most slaves were allowed were basically labor positions in the rear such as, carpenters, laborers, and pilots in some cases as part of the Continental Navy.
Slaves willfully joined in the fighting not so much because of the desire to break away from the British control but more so to possibly gain their freedom. Rhode Island was the 1st State to pass an act that allowed slaves to join the military, which was called the Slave Enlistment Act. Under General Washington’s guidance slaves couldn’t join, but freed blacks could, and this was primarily due to his choice in words concerning requirements, in which he left out race. While it was a proven fact that during the Revolutionary War some slave masters and family members were called upon for military service, it’s interesting to note that they could opt out by sending a replacement. These replacements often were African American but there was something that must occur in order for this decision to be honored. Slaves had to be given their freedom to be considered as replacements.
The slaves that took this option for their freedom were in some cases free but worked in similar manners for field officers as they did for their masters. While many slaves looked to the British as an ideal choice to work with, because of their willingness to allow...