Students learn about the contributions of enslaved and freed African Americans to the Revolution. They examine the roles they held, the sides they chose, and how their experiences reflected different paths toward freedom and opportunity.
Students learn about the contributions of enslaved and freed African Americans to the Revolution. They examine the roles they held, the sides they chose, and how their experiences reflected different paths toward freedom and opportunity.
Students read an introduction explaining how thousands of African Americans, both enslaved and free, participated on both sides of the Revolutionary War and what this reveals about freedom and opportunity. They examine an image of the battle scene The Death of Major Peirson and respond on a discussion wall to the prompt about why enslaved and freed African Americans might have joined the colonists and why they might have joined the Loyalists, then read classmates’ posts and add a new idea or thoughtful question.
Teacher MovesPresent the lesson overview and objectives, clarifying key vocabulary (freedmen, rations, recruit, regiment). As students post on the discussion wall, highlight strong responses that propose specific reasons African Americans may have chosen each side. Draw students’ attention to the statistics about how many African Americans fought for the Patriots versus the British and prompt predictions about why more may have supported the Loyalists before moving on.
Students read African Americans in the Revolutionary War to investigate the varied roles African Americans held, how their participation shaped their lives, and how they supported the larger fight for freedom. They then answer several embedded questions, including multiple-choice and inline-choice items, to identify accurate descriptions of African American service and key details such as the First Rhode Island Regiment’s composition.
Teacher MovesFrame the scene by emphasizing that African American men and women actively supported the Revolutionary War in many capacities. Review each question with the class, address misconceptions, and clarify any confusion about specific roles or regiments. Lead a brief discussion on how these examples deepen students’ understanding of who contributed to winning independence and how the Revolution relied on many different groups.
Students watch Black Soldiers of the Revolutionary War and read Patriots, Loyalists, and African American Service to learn how African Americans, both enslaved and free, chose to support either the Patriots or the Loyalists and how those choices affected their experiences. Using this information, they complete a Venn diagram–style graphic organizer comparing Patriot supporters, Loyalist supporters, and shared experiences, focusing on reasons for joining, roles performed, and outcomes after the war.
Teacher MovesIntroduce the idea that African Americans were active decision-makers on both sides of the conflict and that their choices reflected complex questions about freedom and opportunity. After students complete the organizer, review it as a class, highlighting responses that show how circumstances shaped the options available to enslaved versus free African Americans. Draw attention to the overlapping section to discuss common challenges all African Americans faced, and connect the conversation to founding ideals such as unalienable rights and equality to show both the contradictions and possibilities of the era.
Students watch James Lafayette: Revolutionary Spy and read Who Was Wentworth Cheswell? to explore how these two African American Patriots contributed to the Revolutionary War and the fight for independence. They answer multiselect questions identifying accurate statements about each man’s accomplishments and roles, then respond on a discussion wall explaining what the stories of James Armistead Lafayette and Wentworth Cheswell reveal about the different ways African Americans shaped the struggle for independence, using evidence from both the video and the text.
Teacher MovesExplain that this optional extension deepens understanding of individual African American contributions to the Patriot cause. After students answer the multiselect questions, pause to review responses, correct misconceptions, and clarify the distinct achievements of each man. During the discussion wall activity, highlight exemplar posts that clearly describe their roles and use specific evidence, encourage students to add details from the resources to strengthen peers’ answers, and guide the conversation toward recognizing the diverse ways individuals could influence the fight for independence despite social restrictions.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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