Almost Invisible: Black Patriots of the American Revolution

During the Revolution over 5000 African Americans fought in the Continental Army. In the northern colonies, blacks—both free and slave—fought side by side with their white neighbors in many important battles. The first American to die in the struggle for independence was Crispus Attucks, a free black man. In the southern colonies few blacks were allowed to carry weapons, especially in heavy slave states like South Carolina and Georgia. However, there were a few exceptions such as Oscar Marion, a slave who fought with Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox, against British and Tory forces in the swamps of South Carolina. In this book, Kate Salley Palmer tells the stories of over 20 black patriots who made significant contributions to the victory over Great Britain.