Emancipation and Freedom: People of African Descent and the American Revolution

The historical importance of the American War of Independence for Black Americans is unquestionable. The number of Black men who served in the military during this war is between 5,000 and 10,000. But how do we remember and memorialize Black Patriots and history makers from that era? What lenses do we look through to see them? What narrative structure do we use to talk about the past they experienced? What parameters do we use for framing that narrative? And how does it relate to the more well-known narrative? These are some of the questions that will be addressed in this virtual presentation by Dr. Robert Bellinger from the Wilton Historical Society.

Bellinger is a public historian with a Ph.D. in history from Boston College. As the proprietor of Righting Histories, Bellinger engages in projects that involve research and interpretation of African American history, local histories and historic sites.

Bellinger has been engaged as a researcher, advisor or consultant on several public history projects including the National Park Service project “The Experience of Africans During the American Revolution;” the development of a Black History Trail in Concord, MA; “Harvesting Heritage,” an upcoming exhibit at South Carolina State Museum; and “Conversations of Freedom,” the 250th anniversary exhibit at Middleton Place, Charleston, SC.

In 2021 Bellinger founded the African Seed Exchange (ASÉ) which documents the introduction of African food crops into North America by Africans and African Americans in South Carolina from the 17th through the 19th centuries. Currently Bellinger is completing a manuscript on the history of the Black residents of Lexington, MA, 1690-1820. Working with the Lexington History Museums this text will help expand the interpretation of the history of this Massachusetts community.

Bellinger serves on the boards of the Robbins House, the Shirley-Eustis House, Rediscover Mapledale, the Slave Legacy History Coalition, Lexington History Museums, and Middleton Place in Charleston, SC. Bellinger is a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, the Massachusetts Historical Society, the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, and the African America Historical and Genealogical Society.

The talk will be held virtually on Thursday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m.

The event is free for Historical Society members. For non-members, there is a $10 fee.