- 21/02/2013
- Posted by: essay
- Category: Free essays
During the American War for Independence, many enslaved African Americans believed that their best opportunities to achieve freedom lay in fighting with the British against the American rebels. Based on your analysis of Documents 14, 15, 33, and 34, (Woody Holton) discuss the range of activities that these men undertook during the war and (whenever possible) assess how they fared after it ended. In your opinion, did they secure the freedom that they sought? Explain why or why not.
During the American War for Independence, many enslaved African Americans supported the British in the struggle against the American rebels. In such a way, African Americans attempted to improve their position and change the situation in the colonies at large. In this respect, it is possible to single out several reasons and key activities which African Americans undertook in the course of the War for Independence to join the British that explain why they did and their ultimate goals. At this point, it is possible to single out the intention of African Americans to get freedom and to abolish slavery, the loyalty of African Americans to the British crown, the religious background of African Americans and their ideological closeness to the British.
On analyzing the participation of African Americans in the War for Independence, it should be said that basically they took both sides. As the A Letter from Monmouth Country shows, African Americans struggled for both rebels and the British. At the same time, the participation in the war was, to a significant extent, determined by their oppressed position in the colonies. In fact, they were enslaved and they perceived the War for Independence as a perfect opportunity to change their life for better. In this respect, it should be said that they viewed the British as the only power that could save them from the oppression from the part of colonists. At this point, the choice of the British by African Americans seems to be logical because the British did not actually support slavery and slavery did not exist in Britain. In stark contrast, the rebels in America were renowned proponents of the slavery and African Americans could hardly count for the abolition of slavery in case of the rebels’ victory. Instead, the British could bring consistent changes in the life of the American society. For instance, in exchange for the support of the British by African Americans, the British could grant them with freedom and abolish slavery in the colonies. At any rate, this was probably the most significant reason that drove African Americans to join the British army in the struggle against the rebels. s
In addition, African Americans were vulnerable to the impact of their faith in a combination with superstitions which often played the determinant role in their choice to join the British army. In this respect, it is possible to refer to the case of Sergeant Murphy Steele. In fact, the belief of African Americans in supernatural helped the British to use naïve African Americans for their own purposes in the struggle against the rebels. In such a way, the British exploited superstitions of African Americans to enforce their army and breed conflicts between African Americans who came into clashes with each other taking either rebels or British side.
At the same time, it is hardly possible to underestimate the significance of faith and religious beliefs of African Americans in their choice to support the British. At this point, it is possible to refer to the experience of Boston King and David George. As the matter of fact, they used their religion as the driving force which led to them to support of the British army and promotion of loyalist ideas among the population of the colonies. In fact, such participation of African Americans proved to be quite beneficial for them because David George, for instance, had managed to build up the Baptist church in colonies. In all probability he could have hardly done this, if the rebels had taken control over the entire country and he had got no support from the British. In such a way, the British gave African Americans certain religious freedom and helped them to develop their church. Moreover, African Americans got larger career opportunities in the development of their religious freedom and their churches. For instance, Boston King became a Methodist minister. In such a way, African Americans did not simply join the British army in their struggle against the rebels but also they developed the ideological and religious ground for the opposition to rebels and their elimination. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that the ideology played an important role in actions and choices made by African Americans in the course of the War for Independence. In fact, they supported loyalists because they were accustomed to obey to the ruling elite and rebellion challenged their personal beliefs and ideology.
Thus, African Americans joined the British and supported the loyalists army as well as maintained loyalist ideology in colonies.
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