Describe the various types of roles played by blacks during the Revolution. Why did this ...

Ideal Answer: The ideal answer should:

1. Outline the different roles based on gender: men fought in the army and served in the navy while women joined them in army camps or battle. Some men and women served as spies.
2. Outline the different roles in combat based on army vs. navy: black men served in both services though their participation in the navies was more significant and less controversial than in the armies of both sides.
3. Outline the different roles based on Patriots vs. Loyalists. Americans forced their slaves to perform work for the U.S. war effort. The British created official black regiments of escaped slaves while the Americans eventually enlisted black troops in the Continental Army but this varied according to state needs and requirements.