In 1775, hundreds of enslaved men in Virginia fled their plantations and joined the British in exchange for a single promise: freedom. They formed the Ethiopian Regiment—the first Black fighting force of the American Revolution. This is the story of how they marched under a banner that read Liberty to Slaves, and what became of them in a single, searing year.
Caption: Troiani, Don. Brave Men as Ever Fought. Museum of the American Revolution, Philadelphia.
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#histodons #history #education
Thanks for this story @Deglassco. it's a timely reminder that the struggles for freedom and human rights sometimes make for odd bedfellows.
There are parallels in the way different Māori groups fought both against and for the British in the New Zealand land wars, based on what they calculated was the best way to protect their rights.
They had no uniforms when they arrived. No ranks. No provisions. Most had no shoes. But they came anyway. They came from the tobacco fields of the Tidewater, from the stables and kitchens of Williamsburg and Norfolk, from the slave quarters that dotted the great plantations of Virginia. They came because someone in power had finally spoken the word aloud: freedom.
Caption: Murray, John, Earl of Dunmore. A Proclamation. November 7, 1775. Broadside. Library of Congress,
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That someone was Lord Dunmore, the King’s governor. In November 1775, these men—fugitives under Virginia law—were formed into a fighting unit. The British called it the Ethiopian Regiment.
Caption: Reynolds, Joshua. John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore. ca. 1765. Oil on canvas. Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh.
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While their officers were white, the soldiers were Black men who had chosen to fight for their own liberation. They wore black coats with a white sash bearing three words: Liberty to Slaves.
Virginia Museum of History & Culture. Reproduction of “Liberty to Slaves” Smock, Ethiopian Regiment (ca. 1775–1776). Exhibition photo. Richmond, VA.
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Not a slogan. A sentence. A fact. And then they marched. At Kemp’s Landing, they struck first. The Patriots had underestimated them—thought they would break and run. But the Ethiopian Regiment fired with precision. The rebels were routed. Two Patriot officers were taken prisoner by men they once might have owned. It was the first battlefield success by Black soldiers in the war.
Citation: Skirmish at Kemp’s Landing (Historical Marker KV-27). Princess Anne County, Virginia. Erected 2013.
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But it would not last. In December came Great Bridge—the real test. The road to the rebel position was narrow, exposed, flanked by swamp. The Patriots were dug in behind earthworks with cannon waiting. The Ethiopian Regiment was part of the advance. The result was carnage. The regiment was caught in the open and cut down. They retreated in chaos, their numbers shattered.
Citation: Anonymous. A View of the Great Bridge near Norfolk in Virginia… ca. 1775. Manuscript map. LOC.
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This is a bonfire demo instance for testing purposes
