How The First Black Regiment in American History Earned Freedom By Fighting Against British Forces

The fight for independence is a long one, but it often lasts longer, since the fight for the independence of a nation is also a fight for the freedom of its people.
However, some people in certain nations had to fight for the independence of their nation and also return to their homes to fight for freedom from their oppressors. This was an interesting time in history, a sad time nonetheless when black people in America, who could as well claim to be Americans as much as those who founded it, were kept as slaves and given
as gifts among the elites. A very demeaning affair that caused the need to bring an end to the barbaric
practice of Slavery.
The fight by some African Americans for freedom had started long before the Civil rights movements and the inspiration by some notable characters in American history. There was a time when certain service often ensures the freedom of American slaves
and their families. Men had to dedicate their lives to service, whether as spies, in low ranks of Governments, or even as soldiers, just so they could earn freedom. This has always been the case; freedom for Black people in America came with a price, a price that had to be paid in full before any guarantee of freedom. To gain their freedom these first black regiments in American history fought well, hard, and painfully for America. Though they are hardly celebrated for the heroes that they were, we understand today that men had begun a fight for
freedom way before the notable moments in history that we often recognize.


The series of battles by the American people against the British required a lot of responsibility, lots of casualties, and soldiers who would fight not just for payment of wages, but for their belief in building a greater nation free from the Monarchy. This meant that those who would fight for the Americans either had to be Americans who shared the belief for the great nation they had chosen to build or by those whose needs overwhelm them to a point where they would rather fight than return to their cages and chains. I mean, it seems like a fair bargain to the American elites, fight and be freed or remain slaves for the rest of your lives.
When George Washington began the fight for the revolution and the evolution of Government as we know it in 1777, standing with his American friends and soldiers against the British forces, there was little consideration about the effect of war only the consideration that war comes before victory and therefore freedom. An interesting approach and a good one that meant that they believed that regardless of the barriers, and the odds stacked up against them, they could conquer the British forces.
However, Faith doesn't win wars, strategy, soldiers and financial resources do. At the time, all of these stated needed tools to win the war was beginning to reduce greatly. The American financial resources at the time were greatly being affected, the soldiers fit for war were being reduced, with men fighting with no clothes or at least, not enough clothing.


The poor state of the Colony's army at the time made it so difficult to convince an average free man, well, white man, to join the army and fight for the American dream. It isn't exactly easy to tell a man to come with you to fight when you are unable to guarantee his safety and wellbeing. Unfortunately, the army kept suffering and the American congress decided to do the needful. They gave a mandate to all states in the Colony to provide a certain amount of soldiers, in something we call the "draft system."
However, certain areas in the newly formed country were unable to meet up with the required number so they resulted in desperate measures. One of such areas was Rhodes Island, with 60,000 people at the time.


Tasked with filling up two battalions, Rhodes Island found it difficult to accomplish this so they took a different, and perhaps desperate turn. The man put in charge of the process decided to write to Washington begging him to consider allowing Black people in the area to enlist to fight in the war, in exchange for their freedom. Now bear in mind that while white men had been promised lands and houses, these black men could only be guaranteed freedom.
Anyway, Washington feared this idea, his skepticism was perhaps because he was a slave owner who
knew that revolts start when slaves are given enough resources to fight back. He didn't want guns
in the hands of Slaves, he feared what they could do in return. However, little did Washington know that the weapon slaves required to free themselves wasn't guns and machetes but education, which they eventually got. Washington eventually realized that his fears for a revolt among slaves couldn't be compared to what they stood to lose if they do not allow slaves enlist to be soldiers. He and other founding fathers of America concluded to allow black people to fight but for the Rhodes Islands regiment alone.


They were Separated, segregated, even in the army, and put together in one regiment, a regiment that eventually became extremely famous at the time since it was the first Black regiment in American history. While the regiment was led by white officers, the soldiers were all Black and they fought hard and painfully with the promise of freedom in their hearts for when they return to their country.
One of their greatest or well-known time in battle was when they were able to defeat and push back three regiments of German soldiers, paid by the British to fight against the Americans. This victory wasn't just exceptional it was also unexpected, considering how little they were trained and
prepared. This reminds me of a quote by VT. Ahonsi;
"when men fight with hopes of freedom, they fight as gods."


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