James Robinson, an enslaved African American who became a decorated soldier in the Revolutionary War, was born on this day in 1753. He fought heroically at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, where he was awarded a medal for bravery by the Marquis de Lafayette. Robinson had been promised his freedom for his service, but instead, after the war, he was sold back into slavery.
Robinson later regained his freedom and lived into his 100s, becoming one of the last living Black veterans of the American Revolution. His life reflects both the courage and the injustices faced by African Americans in the founding of the United States.
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