Black History Month Thesis

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History studies the past: major events, whom these events affected, and the events’ implications. However, textbooks can only cover so much information and often seemingly less significant information is left out. While African-Americans have the month of February dedicated to them as Black History Month, most of the history studied and celebrated during this month is from the civil rights movement of the early and mid-twentieth century. Other than the civil rights movement, much of the black history studied surrounds either the trans-Atlantic slave trade or the abolition movement of the nineteenth century. What is left out, is the impact that black people had on the founding of the United States of America during the American War for Independence.…show more content…
In 1775 the royal governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore, issued a proclamation declaring, “all indentured Servants, Negros, or others, (appertaining to Rebels,) free that are able and willing to bear arms, they joining His MAJESTY’S Troops as soon as may be” (Lord). He issued this statement partly in response to the colonists’ desires to be ruled with real English Law and not augmented Colonial rule. The colonists were tired of people thousands of miles away in England making rules that only appertained to them; the laws made life more rigid through taxes, curfews, and the like, while people in England did not have these laws (Selig). Lord Dunmore's proclamation based on what he saw happening in the colonies; slavery. Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation saw an overwhelming response of roughly 300 fleeing slaves. Said runaway slaves formed the Royal Ethiopian Regiment. While only 300 slaves were actually able to, most all of the slaves in the area around Virginia likely tried to escape. The slaves were enticed to run away because the proclamation not only promised a release from the chains of slavery, but…show more content…
The British allowed blacks to join very early in the war, therefore their enlistments would expire earlier than the other side. This meant they would, in theory, receive their promised freedom earlier (Egerton). The British also seemed to express a desire for black soldiers with Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation and the Phillipsburg Proclamation. Rather than simply allowing blacks, the British encouraged them. The British encouraged the arming of slaves because they were not worried about slave revolts, as were the patriots (Blacks). They did not own the slaves, therefore a slave revolt would not directly affect them, nor would losing a work force to the
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