Slavery in America — Part Seven

During the War of 1812, British Royal Navy commanders, which were based at the Bermuda dockyard, were given instructions to encourage the defection of American slaves by offering freedom, as they did during the Revolutionary War.

Many ex-slaves fought for the British against the colonists.

This is because the Revolutionary War, the War Americans fought for ‘freedom’ did not extend to the slaves they held.

This situation was repeated in 1812 and thousands of black slaves went over to the Crown with their families, and were recruited into the 3rd Colonial Battalion

A further company of colonial marines was raised at the Bermuda dockyard, where many freed slaves, men women and children, had been given refuge and employment. It was kept as a defensive force in case of an attack.

These former slaves fought for Britain throughout the Atlantic campaign, including the attack on Washington
D.C. and the Louisiana Campaign.

Many re-enlisted into British West India regiments after the war. Seven hundred of these ex-marines settled in Trinidad in August, 1816, and were granted land and created villages.

Many other freed American slaves were recruited directly into existing West Indian regiments, or newly created British Army units. A few thousand freed slaves were later settled at Nova Scotia by the British.

Slaveholders in the South suffered considerable loss of property as tens of thousands of slaves escaped to British lines or ships for freedom.

The planters’ complacency about slave “contentment” was shocked by seeing slaves would risk so much to be free.

Slaveholders such as Major Pierce Butler of South Carolina tried to persuade the ex-slaves to return to the United States, to no avail.

One of the most important differences between slavery in what would be the United States, and various territories in South/Central America and the Caribbean, was the existence of “Maroons.”

Many slaves escaped almost at landing, and ran into the mountains or forests, and created their own societies.

They fought against their captors, and over time, recreated their cultures.

Some blended with the Amer-Indians, some did not.

America did not have free African villages. Slaves who escaped to non-slave states in America were not treated
very well, and subject to recapture and selling South.

Free Blacks were often captured and transported, so that being anywhere in America during the period pre-Civil War was no guarantee of safety.

Harriet Tubman began to run her ‘Railroad’ to Canada due to this sitution.

Hence, leaving America seemed the only chance for freedom.