History of North America

Were African Americans slaves during the revolution?

Yes, there were African Americans enslaved in what would become the United States during the American Revolution. While some Black individuals took part in the war as free colonists on both sides of the conflict, the institution of slavery continued to exist in all thirteen of the American colonies at the time of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The Revolution brought significant tensions related to the issue of slavery, as debates around freedom and independence highlighted the inherent contradiction between fighting for liberty while simultaneously enslaving Black individuals