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Record revealed

‘The Book of Negroes’: Black refugees who fought in the American Revolution

This volume offers a brief glimpse of the numerous ‘Black Loyalists’ who seized the American Revolutionary War as an opportunity to gain freedom from enslavement.

Important information

Please note this page highlights a document that discusses enslavement as a trade and as a condition, and that contains racist language. It is presented here to accurately represent our records and to help us understand the past.

Why this record matters

Date
15 April 1783 to 19 February 1784
Catalogue reference
PRO 30/55/100

This record captures a vital moment in the history of enslavement in the Atlantic world. It also offers a snapshot into the lives of thousands of formerly enslaved Black people, who strove to retain their freedom against immense odds.

When the American Revolutionary War broke out in 1775, enslaved people comprised approximately 20 per cent (500,000) of the colonies’ population. The British-American economy, particularly in the south, relied on the exploitation of their lives and labour.

In an effort to undermine the American rebellion and expand its own military forces, Britain offered freedom to any person, enslaved by a rebel American, who escaped and signed up to fight as a ‘Black Loyalist’. For the British, this was a practical advantage. For many enslaved people, it was a real opportunity for self-emancipation.

Thousands of Black men and women braved the dangers of war, and the risks of re-enslavement and punishment, to seize their own freedom. Black Loyalists served in a variety of roles during the war, including scouts, spies, engineers, and officers’ staff.

The peace treaty agreed between Britain, France, and the new United States of America in 1783 stipulated that all American property acquired during the conflict must be returned before the British forces departed. The Americans argued that this should include formerly enslaved people, and the treaty explicitly forbade the British from ‘carrying away any Negroes’.

The British were not necessarily against enslavement, but argued that they had offered a binding promise of freedom to Black Loyalists during the war. In compromise, freedom was offered to Black Loyalists who had self-emancipated prior to the ceasefire in 1782. Meanwhile, enslavers were permitted to bring evidence to a joint Anglo-American board to prove ‘ownership’ of Black Loyalists. Hearings included in this record provide examples of that process.

Those who successfully gained their freedom from American enslavers were entered into the ‘Book of Negroes’, and assigned to a ship departing New York. The Book names each man, woman, and child, along with a brief description and remarks; it also lists any ‘Claimants’ attempting their re-enslavement.

For many Black Loyalists, registration in the ‘Book of Negroes’ was a vital confirmation of their freedom from enslavement, recognised by both British and American signatories. Although their future remained uncertain, the emancipated Black Loyalist entries in this book represent a conclusive step in thousands of personal journeys of self-emancipation.

However, this record does not represent an abolitionist victory. While free Black Loyalists were offered land in the British colony of Nova Scotia, many people listed in the Book remained enslaved by British colonists also making that journey. Although they sailed alongside the free Black Loyalists, they would remain enslaved upon arrival in Nova Scotia. The fight for freedom was not yet over.

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