What were enslaved African Americans promised if they fought for the British?
Freedom
During the American Revolution, the British army made a proclamation known as the Dunmore Proclamation in November 1775. This proclamation declared that any enslaved African Americans who joined the British army and actively participated in the war effort would be granted freedom and the opportunity to settle in British-controlled territories. The British realized that this proclamation would cause problems for the colonists as many of them depended on slavery for their labor-intensive agriculture. This policy was implemented to weaken the colonist’s economy and military power. However, it is important to note that while some enslaved African Americans chose to join the British army, many others were skeptical of the British’s real intentions and saw it more as an opportunity to escape slavery than to support the British cause.
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