They told the slave owners that the benefit to them would be so if their son’s were drafted the slaves would be used as a substitute for their sons enlistment in the army. Most agreed to this because they were compensated. As described in Document 5, numerous African American Virginians battled at Valley Forge, many died by starvation or from the cold. Around 1778, as mentioned in Document 5, the black Virginians that survived were marching alongside the whites. At that time, The Rhode Island’s Black Battalion was created, because the state didn’t have enough white soldiers to fight in the Continental Army. Most southern states did not allow the recruitment of African Americans as soldiers, however, did not object to using enslaved blacks and free slaves as pilots, sailors, and gunners. About 150 black men in Virginia served in the Navy. When the war was over these men were given their freedom as a
They told the slave owners that the benefit to them would be so if their son’s were drafted the slaves would be used as a substitute for their sons enlistment in the army. Most agreed to this because they were compensated. As described in Document 5, numerous African American Virginians battled at Valley Forge, many died by starvation or from the cold. Around 1778, as mentioned in Document 5, the black Virginians that survived were marching alongside the whites. At that time, The Rhode Island’s Black Battalion was created, because the state didn’t have enough white soldiers to fight in the Continental Army. Most southern states did not allow the recruitment of African Americans as soldiers, however, did not object to using enslaved blacks and free slaves as pilots, sailors, and gunners. About 150 black men in Virginia served in the Navy. When the war was over these men were given their freedom as a