The 4th of July is probably one of the most well-known and beloved holidays in the United States of America. Everybody looks forward to firing up some barbecue, inviting friends and family to share their meal, watch the fireworks, and enjoy all things American. However, there is considerably more behind this holiday than the usual things, which came to be associated with it. While most people connect the 4th of July with such words as Concord, Lexington, Bunker Hill, and the “British Are Coming,”- there is more to the history of the Independence War. Most people associate the white Protestants as a major force behind the Independence War. However, it was not exactly the case. There were other segments of American population, which provided invaluable input toward the ultimate goal of achieving independence from the British Empire.
At the start of the war, about fifth of the population of the original thirteen colonies were people of African descent (an estimated forty thousand people). While some of them were free, the majority were slaves in the South. As such, many people of African-Americans tried to improve their chances of getting freedom or at least some monetary compensation by enrolling into the army. Some of them sought their freedom by aligning with the British forces, while others chose to put their fates into American dream. Many African-Americans were enlisted as Minutemen, such as Crispus Attucks and Peter Salem who fought along the Patriots against the British forces in Massachusetts.
However, some people became apprehensive about arming black people in the fear that they would turn their arms against their enslavers. Thus, the rulings were issued which prohibited the enlisting of black people into the army. In 1775, George Washington decreed, “Neither Negroes, boys unable to bear neither arms nor old men unfit to endure the fatigues of the campaign, are to be enlisted.” However, the blacks that were already serving in the Army were allowed to continue to do so. Still, when the Patriots were in a tight corner, they turned to enlisting black soldiers to support their cause. Thus, a Rhode Island Regiment was formed in 1778 to fight the British forces and became the only regiment of the Continental Army to have segregated companies of black soldiers.
At the same time Lord Dunmore, the staunch supporter of British Crown and the governor of Virginia, formed the Ethiopian Regiment, which employed the black soldiers against the Patriots with the promise of freedom and money for their service. Still, the fate was not on their side. Most black people who fought along with the Patriots or Loyalists were sent to such places as Jamaica, St. Augustine, and West Africa after the war. While some managed to get their freedom, majority of African-Americans did not get what they were hoping for during the Independence War.
Another segment of population that did not get much attention regarding their involvement into the Independence War were American Indians. Undoubtedly, their position was a difficult one. On the one hand, the British promised the Indian tribes their land and freedom in return for their loyalty to British Crown, while the Americans promised the same things for their allegiance to American cause. Thus, some Indian tribes sided with the British (Mohawks, Cayugas, Onondagas, and Senecas) while others such as Oneidas and Tuscaroras fought with the Americans. This dichotomy dissolved the Confederacy, which tried to keep the tribes as a strong presence in the North. Other native tribes in the South also took sides.
As always, wars bring up the worst in people. While the Independence War was a big step in obtaining freedom from the British Empire for the newly formed country of the United States of America, there were people who were deceived in their expectations and those who got exactly what they wanted. It is always the case with wars.
