1775-1776

Governor Lord Dunmore’s British Royal Etiopian Regiment was a British military unit that fought on the side of the loyalists during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed by Lord John Murray Dunmore, an Earl as well as the last Royal Governor of Virginia. Lord Dunmore offered freedom to any slaves who were willing to join his regiment, and around half a thousand slaves abandoned their patriot revolutionary masters to do so. This phenomenon was not an isolated incident, as many slaves in New England and New York would also join British forces in exchange for freedom. The tens of thousands of slaves escaping or switching sides during the American Revolution had a substantial economic impact on America during this time, showing the enormous influence they could have as a collective.