Under increasing pressure and facing troop shortages, General George Washington reversed a previous policy and allowed free Black men to enlist in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
Although Black men had initially fought in early battles like Lexington and Concord (1775), they were later banned from service. By late 1777, the dire need for soldiers led to this pivotal policy shift.
Approximately 5,000 African American soldiers would go on to serve in various roles—infantrymen, drummers, laborers, and spies—fighting for a freedom that would not yet apply to them.
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