Women patriots fought for independence but were denied the right to vote and often the right to own property. Although they faced discrimination in daily life, they at least had the right to exercise free will. This was not the case for most African Americans during the American Revolution.

Black Americans took part in nearly every phase of the Revolution. They protested in the streets, petitioned government officials, and performed invaluable tasks for the military. About five thousand African Americans fought on the front lines on the patriot side, and thousands more served with the British. Unfortunately most black Americans who served were slaves who could not read or write. As a result there are few firsthand written records of their experiences. Most of the information available to historians was written by slave owners, government officials, and white military officers...