American Property: the Blacks and British Loyalists - Essay Example

Washington never understood why slaves would freely choose to fight for their new home. The great majority of slaves only cared about their freedom, so joining the American colonists provided an avenue for this wish. The reason why more blacks joined the Loyalist forces is that they were offering freedom to those who fought. As a result, the Loyalist forces had more men to fight with and had the upper hand in the war. Thousands of blacks chose to side with the British forces because of the promise of freedom—something that the American colonists were not so willing to offer.

George Washington barred the recruitment of black soldiers even though they had already fought with whites at Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill. This choice proved to be a terrible mistake—although not fatal. It took until the winter of 1777-78 for Washington to reconsider his earlier decision. The American colonists were losing the war and the Continental Army had fallen to only 18,000. Because of these circumstances, Washington finally decided to enlist a regiment of black slaves from Rhode Island.

Even though Washington allowed blacks to join the war effort, they were used in basic capacities only. George Washington did not trust blacks at all—he believed that they would take advantage of their newfound freedom and run away and desert the army. Washington came from a Southern background and felt that he had to appease South Carolina’s leaders over the issue of slavery. After the war had ended, Washington demanded that former slaves be sent back to their previous masters. This also included the blacks who had fought for the British Loyalists and were now considered American property.