African Americans in the Revolutionary War Some African Americans saw the Revolution not only as a fight for justice , but also their own liberty and freedom from slavery . Others responded to the Dunmore ' s Proclamation , and fought for their freedom as Black Loyalists . Benjamin Quarles believed that the role of the African American in the American Revolution can be understood by " realizing that loyalty was not to a place or a person , but to a principle " . Regardless of where the loyalties of the African American lay , they made a contribution to the birth of the United States that is often disregarded . During the American Revolutionary War , African Americans served both the Continental Army and the British Army . It is estimated that 5 , 000 African Americans served as soldiers for the Continental army , while more than 20 , 000 fought for the British cause . However , there is no documentary evidence that 5 , 000 African Americans fought in the Continental Army ; indeed , that number has been found from the New England states alone . Estimates are difficult because most existing pension and service files do not mention race . Motivating factor . Freedom was the principal motivation for the black slave whether joining either the Patriot or British army . The free black may have been drafted or enlisted by his own volition . Some motives to joining the American forces may have been a desire for adventure , belief in the justice and the goals of the Revolution and the possibility of receiving a bounty . Monetary payments were given or promised to those who joined . They would often become free because of their contribution . 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 again responded to the call and fought with Patriot forces . The Battle of Bunker Hill also had African soldiers fighting along the side of the white Patriots . Many Africans both enslaved and free wanted to join with the Patriots , believing that it would either lead to their freedom or expand their civil rights . 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 . 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 . African American sailors . Because of manpower shortages at sea , both the Continental navy and Royal Navy signed African Americans into the navy . Even southern colonies , which worried about putting guns into the hands of slaves for the army , had no qualms about using blacks to pilot vessels and to handle the ammunition on ships . In state navies , some blacks served as pilots , South Carolina had significant numbers of black pilots . Some African Americans had been captured from the Royal Navy and used by the Patriots on their vessels . Throughout the war , blacks served as seamen on British vessels – where they generally proved to be much more willing and able than their press - ganged British counterparts . Patriot resistance to using African Americans . Revolutionary leaders began to be fearful of using blacks in the armed forces . They were afraid that slaves who were armed would uprise against them . Slave owners became concerned that military service would eventually free their people . In May 1775 , the Massachusetts , stopped the enlistment of slaves in the armies of the colony . This action was adopted by the Continental Congress when they took over the Patriot Army . George Washington in July 1775 issued an order to recruiters , ordering them not to enroll " any deserter from the Ministerial army , nor any stroller , negro or vagabond " . unable to bear arms , nor old men unfit to endure the fatigues of the campaign , are to be enlisted . " Most blacks were integrated into existing military units , but some segregated units were formed , Lord Dunmore ' s proclamation . Lord Dunmore , the royal governor of Virginia was determined to maintain British rule in the southern colonies . On November 7 , 1775 , he issued a proclamation that he would free black and white bondsmen who came to fight with the British . By December 1775 the British army had 300 slaves wearing a military uniform . Sewn on the breast of the uniform was the inscription " Liberty to Slaves " . These slaves were designated as " Lord Dunmore ' s Ethiopian Regiment . " Military response to Dunmore ' s proclamation . Dunmore ' s Black soldiers had brought fear to the Patriots . In December 1775 , Washington wrote a letter to Colonel Henry Lee stating that success in the war would come to whatever side could arm the blacks the fastest . Washington then issued orders to the recruiters to reenlist the free blacks who had already served in the army . He worried that these soldiers may cross over to the British side . Congress in 1776 agreed with Washington and free blacks who had already served could be reenlisted . South Carolina and Georgia did resist in enlisting slaves as soldiers . African Americans from northern units did fight in southern battles and some southern blacks were allowed to be a substitute for their master . African American loyalists . The British also feared that if blacks had weapons that they would start slave rebellions . The British did use African Americans as laborers , skilled worker s , foragers and spies . Except for those blacks who joined Lord Dunmore ' s Ethiopian Regiment , there were only a few blacks , such as Seymour Burr , who served in the British army while the fighting was concentrated in the North . It was not until the final months of the war , when manpower was low that blacks were used for fighting for Britain . In Savannah , Augusta , and Charleston , when threatened by Patriot forces , the British filled gaps in their troops with African Americans . In October 1779 , about 200 Black Loyalist soldiers assisted the British in successfully defending Savannah against a joint French and rebel American attack . Black Regiment of Rhode Island . In 1778 , Rhode Island was having trouble recruiting enough white men to meet the troop quotas set by the Continental Congress , and the Rhode Island Assembly decided to pursue a suggestion made by General Varnum and enlist slaves in 1st Rhode Island Regiment . Varnum had raised the idea in a letter to George Washington , who forwarded the letter to the governor of Rhode Island . On February 14 , 1778 , the Rhode Island Assembly voted to allow the enlistment of " every able - bodied negro , mulatto , or Indian man slave " that chose to do so , and that " every slave so enlisting shall , upon his passing muster before Colonel Christopher Greene , be immediately discharged from the service of his master or mistress , and be absolutely free . . . " The owners of slaves who enlisted were to be compensated by the Assembly in an amount equal to the market value of the slave . A total of 88 slaves enlisted in the regiment over the next four months , as well as some free blacks . The regiment eventually totaled about 225 men ; probably fewer than 140 of these were blacks . The 1st Rhode Island Regiment became the only regiment of the Continental Army to have segregated companies of black soldiers . Under Colonel Greene , the regiment fought in the Battle of Rhode Island in August 1778 . The regiment played a fairly minor — but praised — role in the battle , suffering three killed , nine wounded , and eleven missing . Like most of the Continental Army , the regiment saw little action over the next few years , since the focus of the war had shifted to the south . In 1781 , Greene and several of his black soldiers were killed in a skirmish with Loyalists . Greene ' s body was mutilated by the Loyalists , apparently as punishment for having led black soldiers against them . Aftermath of the war for African Americans . On July 21 , 1782 , as the final British ship left Savannah , more than 5 , 000 African Americans left for Jamaica or St . Augustine . Because they were the property of Loyalists they never gained their freedom from slavery . About 300 blacks in Savannah did not evacuate , fearing that they would be re - enslaved and established a colony in the swamps of the Savannah River . In 1786 , many were back in bondage . The evacuation of Charleston in December 1782 saw the departure of more than 5 , 000 blacks . Over half were slaves still belonging to Loyalists and went to the West Indies . Another 500 slaves went to east Florida . Many of the Loyalist slaves who sided with the British were promised their freedom . They sailed to New York , England , and Nova Scotia . In New York , the British created a registry of escaped slaves , called the " Book of Negroes " . The registry included details of their enslavement , escape and service to the British . If their claim was believed the slave received a certificate entitling them transport out of New York . By the time the " Book of Negroes " was closed , it had the names of 1 , 336 men , 914 women , and 750 children , who all resettled in Nova Scotia . About 200 former slaves went to London as free people . Because blacks living in London and Nova Scotia were faring no better than before the Revolution a movement to relocate the blacks to Sierra Leone had begun , On January 15 , 1792 , 1 , 193 blacks left Halifax for West Africa and a new life . The African American Patriot who gave loyal service to the Continental Army found that the postwar military held no rewards for them . State legislatures like Connecticut and Massachusetts in 1784 and 1785 banned all blacks , free or slave , from military service . Southern states banned all slaves but some states allowed free men to serve in their militias . In 1792 , the United States Congress formally excluded the African American from military service , allowing only " free able - bodied white male citizens " to serve . Many slaves who fought did receive their freedom , but many others did not after their owners reneged on their promise to free them for service in the military . Despite the added difficulties in African - American genealogy , many descendants of Revolutionary war veterans have been able to document their lineage . Professor Henry Louis Gates and Judge Lawrence W . Pierce , as examples , joined the Sons of the American Revolution . African American women . See : Enslaved Women in the Colonial North America and the U . S . Black women , many of whom were slaves , served both the Americans and the British in the capacity of nurses , laundresses and cooks .