Georgia: African Americans

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3:38

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Enslaved and free Black Georgians used the Revolution’s chaos as an opportunity to seek freedom, often by running toward British lines—intuitively understanding that movement away from enslavement offered more hope than staying. Many made their way to Savannah after the British arrived in December 1778, finding new economic opportunities, establishing religious communities, and founding churches whose Savannah congregations still trace their origins to the Revolutionary period. Black soldiers and laborers participated fully in the Siege of Savannah in 1779, carrying muskets, building fortifications, and performing every kind of wartime labor. When the British evacuated in 1782, large numbers of Black Georgians left with them—to Saint Augustine, the West Indies, Nova Scotia, and Canada—a diaspora that brought freedom but rarely security or prosperity. For those who remained, the Revolution’s end often meant a return to conditions barely distinguishable from before.

Interviewees

Stan Deaton
- Dr. Elaine B. Andrews Distinguished Historian, Georgia Historical Society
Christy Crisp
- Vice President of Education and Programs, Georgia Historical Society

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