Original subtitles

News is the first draft of history. It is immediate and takes place in

real time. [music] Legends take longer to develop and are sometimes based on

myth. This Fox News series looks at the truth behind the legend.

We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.

That they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights. That

among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

What are you writing? It's for the Congress. Doesn't concern you. Whenever any form of

government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish

it. Do all approved the [music] declaration as revised by this committee? I we therefore,

the representatives of the United States of America, solemnly declare [music] that these

United Colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent.

Hey, boys.

Heat.

Heat.

You're a slave.

I ain't no slave. I'm a soldier. And when this war is over,

I'm going to be a free man. and you'll be back in chains. [music]

Ask your general about slaves and then you tell me who's free and who's not

treated of [singing] thee.

Sweet land.

[music]

[music]

The regulars are coming out. The regulars are on the mark. Pushed to their limits

by an oppressive empire, a determined group of rebels unites [music] under the cause of

liberty. King George has declared us rebels. Their quest for freedom will unify a people,

ignite a revolution, and forge [music] a new system of government. In time,

these brave men and women will come to be known as the American Patriots.

The American Revolution, a war for independence, and liberty from oppression.

While some heroes become American legends, others who fight for the country's freedom [music] will

continue to struggle for their own. But behind every struggle stands

a [music] man. And behind every legend lies the truth. You ready to eat? You all right?

The story of the American Revolution is known by nearly every American child who's taken a

history class. But there is another story that's been virtually ignored

for more than two centuries. At least 5,000 Americans of [music] African descent fight

in the revolution. These forgotten heroes rise up against oppression and risk their

lives in the name of freedom [music] for their country and for themselves.

Bless you for allowing me to join your camp, man. All we have is food and wine, but it's yours. In

our African tradition, the oral tradition is the big one that we pass knowledge from person

to person. Our stories are continued and carried over generation and generation, in spoken word,

in poetry, in music. That's how they're still remembered today. You've been to war? Indeed.

My paws in the war. You must be a proud man. and you pop out there fighting for the truth. Black

people believe that everything would change. In the American Revolution, there was going to be

more freedom than ever. And remember, black folks are fighting with a guarantee of their personal

freedom that they can leave the household of the master. They can leave the plantation. Christmas

addicts, Salem poor, even the fair miss. So many names and faces just like you and me out there

fighting for our freedom. Especially old Jack Sison. A patriot like no other. Careful now, boy.

Jack Sison, a slave as the revolution begins, will become a hero by war's end, even helping to

win American independence at the pivotal battle of Yorktown. But little is known of Jack's early life

except that he's owned by a successful farmer, Thomas Sison [music] of Tertton, Rhode Island.

Well, Jeffrey says you've got big dreams. You think you're good enough to fight? Good

enough for war. The world that Jack Sison lived in was a world where he's enslaved,

but his work activity would have looked more like an indentured servitude,

but he's enslaved. Law says you could took my place in the militia if I allowed

it. You think you'd be better off a free man, Jack? H you like to leave my house?

Good house, sir. I'd rather hang than have one of my negroes loose with a gun

in his hands in the name of liberty. [music] Your place is here, Jack. With me. [music]

Jack, you come back here, boy.

There are a lot of fugitives who run away and join the Continental Army or

the militias. This is what George Ruffin refers to as leg bail. Leg bail is where

you actually just run away to the army. It's not an agreement from your owner. And sir,

there are many who run away and they [music] join. Some would remain free, many wouldn't.

Why are you itching for a fight? You read the same words that I read. All men are created

equal. Ain't that worth fighting for? Even as Jack Sison takes his independence into his own hands,

he is still far from free. He needs something to run to. While some Africans are being

allowed to join patriot militias, not everyone agrees with arming slaves.

That declaration is just words. They're not meant for us. How could you say that? You know,

an African might naturally assume, yes, this is my revolution, not as slaves,

but as free men. Of course, one of the big questions comes up is,

well, what does independence have to do with freedom? They're not necessarily associated.

What do you see there? The Boston Massacre. That's the reason we are fighting the British.

No. Look again. These red coats, they're killing a bunch of white men. But that's not

the whole story. The first man killed in the massacre was a black man. Christmas addicts.

Go home.

Chrisakus, he sees it as his fight early on. In fact, African-Americans may have been more

enthusiastic about independence because they saw if you separate with those who believe that

liberty is a natural right, then naturally they're going to be your allies in abolishing slavery.

[music]

So tell me again [music] why that piece of paper is worth fighting for.

I hear Major Barton's looking for men. Are you going to volunteer?

[music]

Major Bordon,

I heard you were looking for volunteers.

Shall we live as those British subjects do in Ireland, slaves to the crown? While the

American colonies fight for their liberty from the British Empire,

for African-Ameans, the revolution is a chance for something even more personal.

So tell me again why that piece of paper is worth fighting for.

The American Revolution is probably the first serious propaganda war. You know,

liberty and freedom and justice for all. There's talk of economic enrichment.

There are all these things [music] going on. The black people hear it. Freedom.

Major Bordon,

I heard you were looking for volunteers.

Did old Jack get into trouble? No, son. He volunteered and Major Barton gave him a spot

on a secret mission. If it comes to it, we don't want the British raising alarms.

Nearly a year after the Declaration of Independence, George Washington has lost one

of his most gifted military strategists, General Charles Lee. And he needs to find a way to get him

back. You are the Continental Army. Charles Lee was second in command only to George Washington,

but Lee was captured by the British. At that point, the Americans needed a major general

of the same rank in order to free Lee from captivity. Let's go over my plan. There was

always a gentleman agreement between waring combatants that you could exchange certain

prisoners. General Prescott is a part of the British occupation of Newport [music] and

Prescott is seen in embodying everything that is evil and wrong of the British occupation.

So the goal was to capture him and use him as an exchange so General Lee could be brought back

into the Continental Army. The man Washington trusts to raid the British and capture General

Prescott is Major William Barton, Jack Sison's new commander. Major Barton was a part of the

Rhode Island uh command structure. A Rhode Island native, Barton was a leader in his community. He

was a well-known and well established family. So men were at ease and comfortable with following

him into combat and following his orders. Barton's plan, cross the Nerkaganset Bay,

surprising General Prescott in the country farmhouse he's occupied 5 miles north of town,

far enough from the thousands of enemy troops in Newport that the raid has a chance of success.

The daring mission to capture British General Richard Prescott is made even more dangerous

because it requires a nighttime crossing of the heavily patrolled Narroagans at Bay

with Jack Sison at the helm. Sison is likely chosen because he's a highly skilled boatman.

They muffled the orars so they said so they could slide right by the British men of war who were

there in the bay. They came up on the shore and were able to maneuver around patrols. Come on,

men. Fall in and close up. The raid is more of a commando mission. Uh,

it's a [music] middle of night under the cover of darkness. There could have

been at any point in time centuries posted that would have immediately

identified [music] other centuries and everything would have been lost.

Sure and steady, Mr. Sison.

Who are you? What is going on here [panting]

in the American Revolution? Some patriots have a more personal stake in the fight for freedom.

Jack Sison [music] is a hero. Patriot. He was a slave for sure,

but he was always out there fighting for the truth. We're all the same. All created equal.

On a secret mission to capture British General Richard Prescott,

Rhode Island militia man Jack Sison puts his desire for freedom [music] into action.

Who are you?

What is going on here?

I hope you've had a pleasant night's rest, General. Legend has it that Jack

Sison bashes in General Prescott's door using his head as a battering ram. But

whether the story is true or not, Sison is an integral part of the operation.

The daring mission results in the successful exchange of the captured General Prescott for

the American General Charles Lee, all without firing a single shot.

Jack Sison's crucial role in the Prescott raid success earns the admiration of George Washington,

who still isn't certain about African-Amean soldiers. George Washington was born into

Virginia culture and slavery is very very much a part of Virginia culture. So the idea of trusting

African individuals with weapons and to fight for those causes he felt it was inappropriate.

Congratulations Major Bach. A hard job well done. But the honor belongs to my men. Indeed,

this is among the finest partisan exploits that have taken place in the course of the war

on either side. It discovers the highest honor to those who undertook and effected it. It would take

some time for George Washington to be introduced to new opportunities and new ideas about who

Africans were and what they would or would not do. What begins to change George Washington's

ideas about black soldiers? Well, one is those actual soldiers who fought in those early battles.

Jack Sison with Brave just like the many brave black heroes that fought at Lexington

and Bunker Hill like Prince Estherbrook and he was a slave but he fought in the very

first battle of this war. Prince Estherbrook participated in some of the earliest battles

in Massachusetts. Everyone was looking to come forward and defend their commonwealth,

their town, their farm and their own families.

It was Peter Sailor. He fought at Bunker Hill. He was a slave until his master gave him his freedom.

Peter. Peter. How many rounds you have left? Only three. Peter Salem ends up registering with the

[music] Massachusetts Minutemen and is credited with shooting and killing Bishop John Pit Karen.

and Salem poor. He joined the militia, too. And at Bunker Hill, he fought so bravely that

14 white officers gave an official statement of his heroism to the Massachusetts governor.

Too much power.

Help these men reloading fire. I said reloading fire.

Sean Poor, another extremely brave man in a [music] heat of fire. He absolutely stands

as one of the great African heroes of the revolution. [music] Right beside Jack C.

Jack Sison's story may not be as well known, but he is no less heroic.

Having proven himself in the Prescott raid,

Sison now joins 400 integrated soldiers [music] commanded by Colonel Christopher

Green at a crucial American post. 1 2 3. The British have occupied Philadelphia,

the birthplace of independence. To prevent British supply ships from reaching the city,

George Washington [music] builds two forts on the Delaware River, Fort Mifflin and Fort Mercer.

All right, let's get a move on. The British are determined to reopen their supply line. Colonel

Green must prepare his men for the inevitable attack that could [music] come at any time.

Christopher Green had firsthand interaction with African heritage people growing up

recognized in [music] the close proximity in the interdependence of Africans. So he

was significantly well respected by his men. The post I have in charge I am determined to

defend with the small number I have to the last extremity. Some problem sis. It's It's just that

the men are saying we won't last the night. That Philadelphia has fallen. If that is so,

then it is our God-given duty to raise [music] her up. And raise her up we will.

These soldiers and African soldiers in general had something to live up to. They had [music]

something to prove. they would fight, that they were brave and courageous, that they would die for

our cause and our independence. 1,200 Hessen mercenaries are bearing down on Fort Mercer

and outnumbered 3 to one,

it's up to Jack Sison and the men of the Rhode Island regiments to stop them. All

right, boys. Let's get this cannon mounted. Philadelphia has fallen. Jack Sison and just

400 men of the Rhode Island regiments must hold a vital post. All right,

let's get a move on against 1,200 professional killers. German mercenaries called Hessins led

by Colonel [music] Carl Vandana. Make preparations for a two-pronged attack.

Many African-American soldiers believe their decision to fight

alongside Free Patriots is a just one that will eventually lead to their own freedom.

But what many forget is that the enslaved population, particularly in the South,

is given another option to achieve their freedom. taking up arms and fighting for the British.

Early in the war, the British Royal Governor of Virginia, Lord Dunore,

offers emancipation to any slave who fights for the British. 500 slaves join his so-called

Ethiopian regiment. Despite the British attempt to turn slaves against their masters,

some Africans believe in the patriot cause and fight for more than their personal freedom. All

right, it's going to move on. At Fort Mercer, the First Rhode Island regiment prepares for

the overwhelming Hessen force. A battle that could be their last.

Over. Fall

down. [music]

Fall up.

this.

Remarkably, the Continentals hold off the mercenary force, inflicting more than 300

casualties while suffering just 41 of their own. With this amazing success,

Jack Sison and the men of the Rhode Island regiment have more than proven their metal.

There must have been maybe hundreds of Africans who served with the Germans. The story was out

there from the very beginning in 1775. You come to the king's aid,

you can be free. [music] The Germans are fighting for the king.

No, they were color Germans.

You're not German. You're a slave.

I ain't no slave. I'm a soldier.

And when this war is over, I'mma be a free man, and you'll be back in chains. They may

give you a gun, but you still just [music] the white man's boy. And you are just a slave of

a slave. The British are using these Germans just as they are using you. And when General

Washington wins this war, there ain't going to be nowhere for you to go. General [music] Washington,

ask your general about slaves. And then you tell me who's free and who's not.

Washington, like many other leading patriots, is a slave owner. As the Revolutionary War begins,

more than 130 slaves [music] serve at Washington's plantation, Mount Vernon, including his most

trusted companion, Billy Lee. George Washington bought a guy named William Lee and his brother.

The brother remained most of the time at the plantation while William Lee himself spent [music]

most of his time with George uh especially during the war. It is a noble cause we are engaged in.

It is the cause of virtue and mankind. Slavery is brutal but we can't take out the fact that

there are these human relationships. You have this intense loyalty that grows up between the

served and the servant. Washington respects the abilities of Billy Lee to do what he's doing, but

it is subordinate relationship. George Washington is torn between the liberty he fights for and the

slaveowning establishment he was born into. But he will soon be forced to choose because without

more African-Amean soldiers, his war [music] for independence could be lost. [screaming]

And Jack stayed with Colonel Green for most of his service. And his service was good.

Fall back. Fall back. Though thousands of black patriots fight for freedom,

that opportunity has only extended to free men and escape slaves. But as the war drags on,

the need for soldiers grows, and George Washington must enlist every man he can,

right? He's going to move on. 3 years into the war, the Rhode Island State Assembly

issues a decree allowing slaves to join the fight in exchange for their freedom.

Despite his reservations, Washington supports the idea, but only behind closed doors. [music]

General Washington had to make a decision because [music] he was down on men. He was down

on resources. Rhode Island was at a critical juncture. A significant part of the British

invasion force of America was lodged in Newport and they were looking for every able-bodied.

88 slaves enlist in the regiment,

meeting their first test at the Battle of Rhode Island. A desperate clash in

the aftermath of the failed attempt with France to force the British from Newport.

a large American land force would move south into Newport and then a French

fleet would [music] arrive uh in Newport and then basically contain the British and Hessen troops.

But as the French fleet were arriving, there was a great gale and it damaged uh significantly

a number of the ships. The American army were outmatched and outnumbered. So they decided to

retreat off of the island. Don't fire. The Rhode Island regiment was asked to cover that retreat.

Don't fire yet. Assistant, stay firm.

Here they come.

Fire.

The first Rhode Island regiment had to prove themselves to the white society that they could

be brave soldiers. [music] And they were. Starting with the Battle of Rhode Island,

there was recognition [music] from the members of Congress that these people were right

uh in letting blacks in. They're really proving Washington wrong. George Washington's true

feelings toward African-American soldiers are unclear, but the valiant service of men

like Peter Salem, Jack Sison, and Salem Poor show Washington that black patriots are more

than equal [music] to the challenge of battle. Eventually, these unsung heroes inspire George

Washington to allow all able men, no matter what their race, to serve in the Continental Army.

The first Rhode Island success isn't celebrated by

everyone. The regiment's commander, Christopher Green, is murdered,

likely by British loyalists, angry that black soldiers are fighting against them.

But the soldiers of the First Rhode Island will get a chance to avenge their fallen

leader. With the aid of the French, George Washington sees an opportunity to end the war.

He moves south with his army, including the first Rhode Island, where he hopes to

trap British General Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown and force him to surrender.

Marching up one way, marching down another, hiding, running. Nothing's changed. Everything

has changed. When this is all over, we will be free men. Only way to be free is to run.

They said there's 10,000 red coats waiting for us ahead. You run and you'll never stop

running. This fight ain't about land and taxes and liberty from England. It's about what's in

here. What every man has is his. It's worth dying for. And it's what we'll pass down to our sons.

Comp to grass and keep any reinforcements from reaching Cornwallis by sea. The goal is to remove

the fortifications at readout 9 and read out 10. May I request the first Rhode Island regiment be

included in the assault. General Sullivan speaks very highly of their service and loyalty in Rhode

Island. Request granted. Alexander Hamilton wanted a black division. Being a West Indian himself,

he knew the value of those individuals. knew what black people could do. Thanks to [music]

Hamilton's request, Washington now entrusts a crucial battle to soldiers he once prevented

from joining his army. The present moment will decide American independence. Prepare for battle.

After weeks of siege, the Battle of Yorktown comes down to a nighttime assault on two small British

fortifications known as readouts 9 and 10. French troops will attack number nine, while Alexander

Hamilton leads the First Rhode Island and other American troops against number 10. Here's

your band, boys. Go stop the fire. It's the bloody Americans. Alarm. Send it off. Boys.

Hold on, boys.

Hold on. Hold on.

Jack Sison [music] and the Rhode Island Regiment, men who joined the revolution

to fight for personal freedom, now hold the fate of American independence in their hands.

The war for American independence comes down to an assault on a small fortification at Yorktown.

The men on the front lines are Jack Sison and the soldiers of the Rhode Island Regiment.

Let's go, boys.

takes them less than 10 minutes to take the readout. And this, for all intents and purposes,

is the end of the war. [music] Wallace is trapped. All that stands between him and

England is a massive ocean. The Rhode Island Regiment is a crucial part of the victory

that secures American independence. Just as African-American patriots play vital roles

throughout the revolution, here is a very famous watercolor from a Hessen artist that includes an

image [music] of an actual African Rhode Island participant. It very much characterizes the fact

that Africans were not sideline participants. They were actually involved in nearly every

aspect of building this great country. By understanding the story of Jack Sison,

we have a better understanding of the story of America. By taking readout number 10,

the Rhode Island Regiment allows Washington to launch a devastating artillery attack on

the main British [music] fortifications. 5 days later, General Cornwallis surrenders. [music]

Where is Lord Cornwallis? He is under the weather, sir. General Lincoln here will

accept the sword. You may tell Cornwallis I'm not feeling well myself. The reduction of the British

army under the command of Lord Cornwallis is most happily affected at an earlier period

than my most sanguin hopes had induced me to expect. The actions of these soldiers,

of those who sacrifice, become an example for future generations for an enslaved population.

This is the inspiration. If it wasn't for Jack Sison and the boys of the first Rhode Island,

the British might have won. Then how come I never heard of Jack Sissen before? Well,

some folks don't want to hear our stories. They don't want to believe them. But we have

to keep telling them. So someday they'll listen. They'll have to listen. They'll have to believe.

We don't know exactly what [music] happens to Jack Sison, but I think the most important thing Jack

Sison had choice. And the value of freedom [music] is when you have freedom of choice.

And what Jack Sison embodied was the beginning of a new opportunity of freedom and choice for

America. And unfortunately, it was something that [music] most other

Africans would not receive until after the American Civil War several generations later.

The work is done and done well. George [music] Washington continues to own slaves for the rest

of his life, but there is evidence that he may have been more progressive [music] than his peers,

thanks perhaps to his experience with African-Amean soldiers like the [music] Rhode

Island regiment. Upon his death, Washington will be the only one of the founding fathers

to [music] free his slaves. for Jack Sissa and his fellow African-American patriots. The revolution

is as much a war for personal [music] freedom as it is for their countries. Unfortunately,

their hope for equality is deferred to future generations. Many of these heroes have simply

been forgotten or vanished like Jack Sison. But their contributions to the founding of

a free nation stand as true examples of the American character. The sacrifice they make

in their fight for national and personal liberty is something we must never forget.