Prompt Cast
The Black Loyalists: African-Americans who fought for freedom in the American Revolutionary War
TLDR The Black Loyalists were African-Americans who fought for the British in the Revolutionary War, seeking their own freedom and the emancipation of other slaves. After the war, they faced discrimination in Nova Scotia and petitioned for the land they were promised, but were instead offered the option to settle in Sierra Leone.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The Black Loyalists were African-Americans who fought for Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War.
02:19
Before the American Revolutionary War even started, the British made efforts to recruit American slaves to fight on their side by promising them freedom and land after the war.
04:21
Between 800 and 2000 slaves and servants fled their plantations and took up arms in the Revolutionary War, fighting not only for their own freedom but also to free the slaves left behind, leading to the first mass emancipation close to 100 years before the Emancipation Proclamation.
06:29
During the Revolutionary War, around 12,000 African slaves fought for the British, and after the war, the status of these slaves became a point of contention between the British and the American colonies.
08:22
After the Revolutionary War, the British told the Black Loyalists to leave the country and go to Nova Scotia, where they joined more than 1,200 slaves of white loyalists, causing a population problem in Nova Scotia.
10:53
The Black Loyalists faced discrimination and violence in Nova Scotia, leading them to petition the crown for the land they were promised, but instead were offered the option to settle in Sierra Leone.
13:00
Many Black Loyalists settled in Nova Scotia, with some later choosing to go to Sierra Leone, and their descendants can still be found in Nova Scotia today.
Categories:
Society & Culture
