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In the American Revolution, gaining freedom was the strongest motive for black slaves who joined the Patriot or British armies. The free black may have been drafted or enlisted at his own volition—Nash says they enlisted at higher rates than did whites.〔Gary B. Nash, "The African Americans' Revolution," in ''Oxford Handbook of the American Revolution'' (2012), edited by Edward G Gray and Jane Kamensky, pp 250-70〕 Additional motives for those who joined the rebel American forces may have been a desire for adventure, belief in the goals of the Revolution, and the possibility of receiving a bounty. Monetary payments and freedom were given or promised to those who joined. Free blacks in the North and South fought on both sides of the Revolution; slaves were recruited to weaken those masters who supported the opposing cause. Gary Nash reports that most blacks fought on the patriot side; recent research concludes there were about 9000 black Patriot soldiers, counting the Continental Army and Navy, and state militia units, as well as privateers, wagoneers in the Army, servants to officers, and spies.〔Nash, "The African Americans' Revolution," at p 254〕 Ray Raphael notes that while thousands did join the Loyalist cause, "A far larger number, free as well as slave, tried to further their interests by siding with the patriots."〔Ray Raphael, ''A People's History of the American Revolution'' (2001) p 281〕 Crispus Attucks, shot dead by British soldiers in the Boston Massacre in 1770, is an iconic martyr to Patriots. ==African-American Patriots== Prior to the revolution, many free African Americans supported the anti-British cause, most famously Crispus Attucks, believed to be the first person killed at the Boston Massacre. At the time of the American Revolution, some blacks had already been enlisted as Minutemen. Both free and enslaved Africans had served in local militias, especially in the North, defending their villages against attacks by Native Americans. In March 1775, the Continental Congress assigned units of the Massachusetts militia as Minutemen. They were under orders to become activated if the British troops in Boston took the offensive. Peter Salem, who had been freed by his owner to join the Framingham militia, was one of the blacks in the militia. He served for seven years. In April 1775 at Lexington and Concord, blacks responded to the call and fought with Patriot forces. Prince Estabrook was wounded some time during the fighting on 19 April, probably at Lexington. The Battle of Bunker Hill also had African-American soldiers fighting along with white Patriots-such as Peter Salem; Salem Poor, Barzillai Lew, Blaney Grusha,〔http://www.afrigeneas.com/forum-military/index.cgi/md/read/id/4443/sbj/at-bunker-hill-1775/〕 Titus Coburn, Alexander Ames, Cato Howe, Seymour Burr. Many African Americans, both enslaved and free, wanted to join with the Patriots. They believed that they would either achieve freedom or expand their civil rights.〔Foner, 43.〕 In addition to the role of soldier, blacks also served as guides, messengers, and spies. American states had to meet quotas of troops for the new Continental Army, and New England regiments recruited black slaves by promising freedom to those who served in the Continental Army. During the course of the war, about one fifth of the northern army was black.〔Liberty! The American Revolution (Documentary) Episode II:''Blows Must Decide: 1774–1776''. ©1997 Twin Cities Public Television, Inc. ISBN 1-4157-0217-9〕 At the Siege of Yorktown in 1781, Baron Closen, a German officer in the French Royal Deux-Ponts Regiment, estimated the American army to be about one quarter black.〔(The Revolution's Black Soldiers ) by Robert A. Selig, Ph.D., 2013-2014〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「African Americans in the Revolutionary War」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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