UnfinishedCaptain Luis F. Emilio, the son of Spanish immigrants, served with the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment and emerged as the acting commander after many officers were killed or wounded at the assault on Fort Wagner. In 1891, he wrote of the history of the 54th in his book “A Brave Black Regiment.”
Examine how changing Massachusetts laws concerning the enlistment of men of color in the military affected their opportunities to serve during the Revolution as well as their chances of being emancipated, if enslaved.
What would enslaved men hope to gain by fighting on the side of the revolutionaries for a liberty that was not conceived to include them? What effects did revolutionary service on either side, revolutionary of British, have on the subsequent lives of men of color who were enslaved at the outset of the conflict, and the subsequent lives of their families?
Reflect on this lively discussion about our nation’s founding narratives.
Long cherished as the “Cradle of Liberty,” Faneuil Hall played an integral role in Boston’s Underground Railroad network. Boston abolitionists used the Hall as a gathering place for meetings, during which they protested against Fugitive Slave Laws and formed Vigilance Committees to assist freedom seekers.
Unfinished