Long Table 107. The Story of Slaves and Freedman in the Continental Army as Told by Fiscal Paper

Join Journal of Early American Numismatics editor Christopher McDowell as he explores the story of enslaved persons and freedmen told through Revolutionary War Era fiscal paper. Despite the edicts of the Continental Congress and General Washington that slaves could not serve in the Continental Army, the fighting force was comprised of a large percentage of slaves and freedmen. As the war dragged on, the Army relied more and more on these men. This talk will discuss how the Revolutionary War was financed and what these documents reveal about the untold contribution of African Americans to the cause of liberty and what happened to these men once the war was over.