Delaware: African Americans

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5:52

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Men of color—African Americans, Native Americans, and men of mixed heritage—served in the Delaware Regiment, the Flying Camp, and independent companies throughout the war. They are hard to identify because the army did not consistently record race, forcing researchers to cross-reference manumission, tax, and pension documents. Some were free; others were enslaved, sometimes in violation of recruiting rules. One man named George Lahea was discharged after nearly nine months when his enslaved status was discovered. Delaware made no explicit promise of freedom for service. A notable group of African Americans was among the 1781 recruits for the Delaware Regiment that Washington redirected to the Siege of Yorktown. After the war, one veteran faced an attempt at re-enslavement. Although the effort was later dropped and apologized for, it revealed how precarious African Americans’ freedom remained.

Interviewees

Charles Fithian
- Delaware Archeologist, Delaware Historical Society
Joseph Sullivan
- Welcome Center Supervisor, Delaware Public Archives

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