Washington's Decision: The Story Of George Washington's Decision To Reaccept Black Enlistments In The Continental Army, December 31, 1775 - Softcover

Charles, Patrick

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1419621378 ISBN 13: 9781419621376

Publisher: Booksurge Publishing, 2005

Synopsis

Washington's Decision explores all the factors that attributed George Washington to reaccept the black soldier in the Continental Army on December 31, 1775. There are three main themes regarding the issue, but none have accurately depicted the events leading up to the General's change of heart. Patrick Charles sets out to finally answer the question, 'What are all the factors that atrributed Washington to reenlist the black soldier?' Washington's Decision tells the story of the Revolution's black soldier from this perspective, giving insight into the politics behind blacks serving, the evolution of slaves to soldiers, and the state of the army during the first year of hostilities.

About this title

From the Inside Flap

On December 31, 1775, George Washington sent an important letter to the Continental Congress regarding the enlistment of black soldiers in the Continental Army. Washington had made the decision, once again, to allow free blacks to enlist pending Congressional approval. In the spring of 1775, blacks serving in the Continental Army and state militias were common, but orders issued by Washington, Continental recruiting officers, and legislation passed by Congress decided not to accept blacks as a means of meeting their troop quotas. Washington s decision to reject, then reaccept, black enlistments has been viewed by historians differently. Different reasons have been given for Washington s change of heart on December 31, but the same limited evidence has been used to support the differing theories. The story is more complex than historians have previously stated. Under the tutelage of Philander D. Chase, Senior Editor of The Papers of George Washington, and Dr. James Horton, author of Slavery and the Making of America, Patrick Charles explores all the factors that caused Washington to reaccept black enlistments, the politics behind blacks serving, examines the Council of War that rejected black enlistments, gives insight to the state of the army during the initial year of hostilities, and shows how the Continental Army eventually turned to the Negro slave to help win America's first Civil War.Patrick Charles is a graduate of the George Washington University in Washington, DC. He is an honor graduate of the History Department, and also majored in the fields of International Affairs Conflict & Security, and International Affairs European Concentration. He has worked for the State Department and is a former sergeant in Marine Security Guard Battalion.

Edition details

• Publisher: Booksurge Publishing
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1419621378
• ISBN 13: 9781419621376
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 218