Ethan Vogt Dr.

Inwood Online Movie Questions 29 February 2012

1.) How does slavery change during the American Revolution? Slaves are offered the chance to fight on either side. The British offered slaves freedom in exchange for their fighting. The Colonists usually offered them freedom also. Even though this sounded like a good deal, the slaves were given the worst jobs and many didnt make it out of the war alive. Also, the Constitution was written which stated All men are created equal. As slaves learned of this they filed unsuccessful lawsuits. Slaves also became more bold and tried to runaway more frequently during the war. 2.) How do notions of freedom and equality influence notions of slavery? The slaves began to wonder why they werent free even though the colonists were fighting for their freedom. The slaves began rebelling under the radar by sabotaging the plantations. These acts became more bold as the war progressed including arson. Even white men began to think of abolishing slavery. It was abolished in Boston. A slave woman was awarded her freedom after a group of lawyers teamed up with her. 3.) Why are slaves written out of popular histories of the American Revolution?

First of all, most history books were written by middle age white men. Many of them were most likely racist. Another reason is because I believe many Americans would rather have a squeaky clean sounding history instead of embracing the stain of slavery.