Many African Americans that fought in the war did not do so because they wanted to. During the war, if you were drafted, it was permissible to buy your way out of army service, or to send someone in your place, a mercenary. Often the cheapest mercenary available was a slave. One of the main events preceding the Revolution was the "Boston Massacre." It was hardly a massacre -- only five people were killed, but …showed first 75 words of 311 total…

…showed last 75 words of 311 total…he gave Lafayette details concerning Cornwallis's plans. This information was invaluable in eventually defeating Cornwallis at Yorktown, the final battle of the Revolution. Even though many African Americans played important roles in the American Revolution, slavery survived the Revolution intact. True in some areas the process of abolition had been accelerated by the ideas of the Revolution, but in other areas, notably the south, slavery not only continued but expanded during the war and afterwards