The Role Of African Americans During The American Revolution

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Pre – European contact, African slaves were mostly prisoners of war. However, post-European contact slave trade became more globalized and demand for slaves increased in Africa. Thus, African slaves expanded to include innocent people and not just prisoners of war. Africa was however a strong country, so Britain exploited Africans and used them to hunt each other. Africans who benefited from slave trade were mostly African leaders with a lot of authority. Early African Americans were treated miserably.
At first, African slaves had to walk up to thousand miles chained from their necks with little food and water. Those who survived would then be kept in slave castles, where they would have very little space, food and water. Some would stay in these conditions for months waiting for European ships to arrive. Slaves would then be shipped across the Atlantic from Africa to the Americas. During their 60-90 days journey across the Atlantic, they would have to endure many hardships including sea sickness, torture, lack of healthy food, disease, and rape. Many would die and some would even take their own lives. Those who survived and reached the Americas would then be sold in auctions as property. Many slave owners would treat their African slaves as livestock and force them to do work for them.
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Although Britain offered freedom to any slave who would fight against rebels, they did not care about the slaves’ freedom. They just used them as a tool for weakening the Americans. Black Loyalists would not only provide more soldiers to Britain but they would also result in the Americans who financially support the revolution having to spend money to keep their slaves in order. Many Black loyalists served and died in this war to get their freedom and after Britain’s loss in the American Revolution, Black Loyalists were again in danger of