Unsung Scots in American History #2

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Lord Dunmore, the unpopular colonial Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia issued, in 1775, a limited "Emancipation Proclamation" in a move to stave off the imagined threat of a possible slave revolt. Shortly thereafter he raised a regiment of freed Negroes (Dunmore's Ethiopians) and later issued a general proclamation as a war measure.

[macwilkin]

Lord Dunmore, the unpopular colonial Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia issued, in 1775, a limited "Emancipation Proclamation" in a move to stave off the imagined threat of a possible slave revolt. Shortly thereafter he raised a regiment of freed Negroes (Dunmore's Ethiopians) and later issued a general proclamation as a war measure.

One of my ancestors served under Lord Dunmore against the Shawnee at the Battle of Point Pleasant in 1774.

T.

[Mael Coluim]

Lord Dunmore, the unpopular colonial Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia issued, in 1775, a limited "Emancipation Proclamation" in a move to stave off the imagined threat of a possible slave revolt. Shortly thereafter he raised a regiment of freed Negroes (Dunmore's Ethiopians) and later issued a general proclamation as a war measure.

And here is the rest of the story which you can read here.

[BoldHighlander]

Lord Dunmore, the unpopular colonial Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia issued, in 1775, a limited "Emancipation Proclamation" in a move to stave off the imagined threat of a possible slave revolt. Shortly thereafter he raised a regiment of freed Negroes (Dunmore's Ethiopians) and later issued a general proclamation as a war measure.

Lord Dunmore was definitely a man ahead of his time.

However it must also be remembered that the British soon dropped their early promises of freedom to runaway slaves, as it outraged numerous Loyalist slave owners & triggered protests in London from Englishmen who (quoting historian Thomas Fleming):
viewed "with indignation and horror" black slaves being encouraged to revolt against white masters. As operators of a slave system on their West Indian islands that far surpassed American slavery in brutal explotation unto death, the King's men could hardly pose as emancipators.

Of course that all changed in 1779 when manpower shortages forced a change in British policy once again.

Lord Dunmore


For those with an interest in the Black Loyalists, might I suggest (amongst other sites) my friend Todd Braisted's excellent site on Rev War Loyalists: http://www.royalprovincial.com/Military/black/black.htm

[Steve Ashton]

The first thread of this same name was taken so far off the original topic that the OP requested it be closed.
Now this one is going the same way.
This thread also closed for the same reason.