The Colored Patriots of the American Revolution

Book excerpt: The Colored Patriots of the American Revolution, is an American history book written by William Cooper Nell, with an introduction by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It focuses on African-American soldiers during the American Revolution and the War of 1812. It details "the services of the Colored Patriots of the Revolution". Among other patriots mentioned are Crispus Attucks, the first person killed in the Boston Massacre; Peter Salem, who was instrumental in the victory at Bunker Hill; and Prince Whipple, who participated in George Washington's noted crossing of the Delaware. The Colored Patriots of the American Revolution is considered by some to be the first history book by and about African Americans that is based on written documentation.