Grades
7-9 Activity 3
Black Men Help Fight the American Revolution Write a news story for the anniversary of a major battle in the American Revolution. You are stepping in to finish the assignment of another reporter (see notes below). You will need to expand some of her notes and ignore others as you narrow your topic. Work on style and form, too. Look at stories in newspapers and magazines to see how they are written. Decide what kind of story you will write. Will you create an exposé, a feature story, a breaking story, a profile, or something else? Can you find quotes from the period?
Courtesy Library of Congress
Choose a main idea. Your teacher will give you a deadline. The editor says the story must be between 250 and 500 words.
Crispus Attucks died in the Boston Massacre in 1770.
Reporter’s Notes For black people, the goal was freedom. Did black and white men fight side by side?
In New Jersey, some white men did not want to fight. They sent their slaves instead.
Lemuel Haynes fought on Patriot side—wrote poem about Battle of Lexington.
Who was Agrippa Hull? Get info on Crispus Attucks.
New Hampshire allowed slaves to enlist. Connecticut formed a black regiment—48 men under a white officer. Rhode Island black regiment had 250 men. Massachusetts had a black unit—the Bucks of America. Had its own flag. Some states bought slaves and promised freedom if they would serve. But many never got freedom. New York recruited slaves, too.
Slave owners did not want black men to carry weapons. Why?
Wealthy Virginia men sent their slaves as soldiers rather than go themselves.
People lived in fear of slave revolts.
A German officer at White Plains said American army there was one-fourth black.
Black sailors in the Revolution—must get info. Lots of enslaved people ran away from cruel masters & joined Continental Army.
Virginia Legislature would not allow the officers to enlist black men without proof they were free men.
James Armistead was a double agent, spying on the English & pretending to spy on the Americans. Or was it the other way around?
In 1778, an army report said there were 755 black men in army. Many more came later. 9