James Armistead Research Paper

Henghak Kun SS Extra Credit ( 335 8B)
African Americans in the Revolutionary War
Peter Salem : a slave who was freed by his owner, Jeremiah Belknap, to join the Framingham militia in Massachusetts. He was a patriot for over seven years, supporting the Americans fight the British, and became a militia himself and served for four years and eight months. In 1775, Peter took part in fighting the war’s first battle at Concord. He enrolled in Captain Drury’s Company of John Nixon’s 6th Massachusetts Regiment. He also took part in the Battle of Bunker Hill, where he mortally wounded British Marine Major, John Pitcairn. Then in 1776, he reenlisted for another year in the 4th Continental Regiment. After his enlistment was over, he volunteer for three years in the 6th Massachusetts Regiment of Colonel Thomas Nixon. Achievement : Contribute to Concord battle(1775), Battle of the Bunker Hill(1775), and the Battles of Saratoga and Stony Point(1777).

James Armistead : James Armistead born into slavery in 1748. In early 1781, James was granted permission from his owner, William Armistead(No, he is not family with James & he is white), to join the American army to fight for American Revolution. James served as a spy under Marquis de Lafayette, the commander of allied French forces. James successfully infiltrated British General Charles Cornwallis’

headquarters. In the British’s point of view, James was spying the Americans, to get information for the British. Because of this, James was able to freely roam between the British and the American’s military camp. He informed Lafayette about the British plan to send 10,000 redcoats as reinforcement to Yorktown, Virginia. Using James’s information, the American and the French was able to successfully block the British reinforcement. The British military cripple and the British officially admit defeat and surrendered on October 19, 1781.

SS Extra Credit Pg. 2
Crispus Attucks : Like Peter Salem, Crispus was born as a slave from Framingham, Massachusetts in 1723. In his 20s, he escaped from his owner, William Brown(He’, to a career at sea. He spent the rest of his life working on whale vessels. On March 5, 1770, Attucks led a group of men with clubs to the Old State House to protest British occupation in Boston. The protest became heated, and the soldiers fired at the colonists. Six colonists were wounded, and five colonists were killed, one of which was Crispus Attuck. This was known as the Boston Massacre. Crispus was one of the few who flared up the colonists into starting the Revolutionary War.

Salem Poor : Salem Poor was born into slavery in Andover, Massachusetts in 1747.

He brought his freedom from his owner, John Poor Jr. for £27, or 27 pounds in 1769. In 1775, Salem served as a militia under Captain Benjamin Ames in Colonel James Frye’s regiment, to help fight against the British occupying Boston. He also participated in the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775 where he mortally wounded British Lieutenant Colonel James Abercrombie(What he is best known for). After being released by George Washington on June 10, 1775, Salem reenlisted back as a militia along with the Patriot forces until March 20,

1780.