In the early months of the American Revolutionary War, General George Washington, under pressure from Southern slaveholding interests, issued an order on November 12, 1775, barring all Black men—enslaved or free—from enlisting in the Continental Army. This reversed an earlier policy that had allowed Black men to serve.
However, this ban was short-lived. By the end of the year, the British offered freedom to enslaved people who fought for the Crown, prompting Washington and the Continental Congress to later reverse the decision and allow Black men to serve again.
Despite the discrimination, an estimated 5,000 African Americans fought on the side of the Patriots during the Revolutionary War, seeking liberty even while facing systemic oppression.
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