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I’m excited to tell you about a thrilling new book by my friend and historian Patrick Poole. This new research shatters the standard narrative that the American Revolution was shaped solely by the well-known founders already chronicled in our standard history textbooks, as great as many of them were.
Drawing on extensive research, including newly unearthed records, Poole’s work brings to life African American heroes who fought in key battles and risked everything for a cause that often excluded them from its full promises.
These revelations, discussed in a recent interview on the Wall Builder Show, paint an entirely new picture of the country’s founding era. In shining the spotlight on these unsung figures, Black Patriots delivers a riveting account that every American should read.
A Game Changing Radio Interview
During the Wall Builder Show, Poole described his own journey of discovery. While researching Bunker Hill, he stumbled upon the contributions of Black soldiers who served bravely on that famed battleground. Digging further, Poole realized there were far more than just one or two individuals. Instead, he identified dozens of men, including both free and enslaved Black Americans, who had risked their lives on that critical day.
It wasn’t just Bunker Hill. As Poole explored muster rolls and pension affidavits, he found personal testimonies of Black veterans who fought in vital turning-point battles.
From the earliest skirmishes at Lexington and Concord, where a Black patriot named Prince Estabrook was wounded in the opening confrontation of the war, to the heroics of Peter Salem and Salem Poor at Bunker Hill, these stories have remained mostly hidden in the shadows of traditional history.
Poole’s radio interview offered a glimpse into how extraordinary these discoveries can be when compiled and told from a fresh perspective.
Salem Poor, Peter Salem… and the Long List of Unknown… Unsung Heroes
Among the Black patriots who inspired Poole’s deep dive were Salem Poor and Peter Salem, both of whom distinguished themselves at Bunker Hill. Their remarkable courage in the face of battle, as described in various accounts, is truly inspiring.
Salem Poor was recognized as a “brave and gallant soldier” in an official letter to the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, a rare acknowledgment for a Black militiaman in the 18th century. Meanwhile, Peter Salem served at Bunker Hill and the iconic Lexington and Concord battles, where he stood alongside other patriots to fire what became known as the “shot heard round the world.”
These men were not isolated examples. The National Park Service commissioned research into the diversity of troops at Bunker Hill, and the findings revealed more than a hundred Black and Native American soldiers present at the confrontation. Poole’s book builds on that groundbreaking study, offering chapters that detail each central figure’s contributions, along with historical documents and even photographs of monuments erected to honor them.
In one particularly poignant section, he recounts the story of Jude Hall, who escaped enslavement and joined John Stark’s New Hampshire Regiment, fighting from Bunker Hill through the war’s end.
Crossing the Delaware With George Washington
Black patriots also played a significant role in campaigns that took place away from New England. Poole’s research uncovered the testimony of Peter Jennings, a soldier from New Jersey who served under George Washington and provided a detailed account of the crossing of the Delaware.
Jennings’s pension affidavit described the frigid journey and the subsequent victories at Trenton and Princeton, battles that changed the momentum of the war. These diaries and affidavits offer a firsthand look at experiences that go far beyond the typically cited narratives of Washington and his officers.
The winter at Valley Forge was another poignant chapter in this hidden history. Poole identifies more than fifty Black soldiers who perished there, underscoring the immense sacrifices they made during the harshest conditions of the war. By the time the Continental Army marched out of the makeshift camp, hundreds of Black patriots were on the front lines at battles such as Monmouth, further cementing their crucial role in achieving American independence.
Reclaiming a Legacy for All Americans
Throughout the interview, Poole emphasized how vital these stories are for all communities, regardless of color. By illustrating that Black Americans helped birth the nation from the very first shots at Lexington Green to the final victory over the British, Black Patriots confronts the misconception that the Revolution was a narrow affair fought exclusively by affluent colonists.
As Poole sees it, the erasure of Black patriots has harmed not only Black students who grow up unaware of their ancestors’ heroism but also anyone who wants a more complete and honest account of the country’s founding. This revelation enlightens us and provides a more comprehensive understanding of our history.
The radio hosts echoed this sentiment, stressing that the knowledge of these stories helps dismantle modern narratives that paint the Revolution in reductive terms. Rather than seeing the Founding Fathers as either flawless heroes or irredeemable villains, the book encourages us to recognize the complexities of the era and the diverse coalition that fought for American liberty.
Although the Revolution did not immediately guarantee freedom for everyone, Poole’s work shows that African American patriots were integral to the fight for independence and more deeply connected to the nation’s founding ideals than many realized.
A Call to Action: Please Read “Black Patriots” and Share the Stories
Black Patriots arrives at a moment when many Americans are grappling with questions about historical memory and inclusion. Patrick Poole’s scholarship and heartfelt storytelling are an invitation to reevaluate long-held assumptions and celebrate the unsung heroes who shaped our country. This new work does more than fill a gap in our knowledge… it encourages readers to honor a legacy of courage, perseverance, and sacrifice that has been overlooked for too long.
If you want to deepen your understanding of America’s founding, there is no better place to start than this revelatory account. Patrick Poole’s Black Patriots is a stirring call to look beyond familiar names and events, to confront the true mosaic of our shared history, and to pass these transformative stories on to the next generation.
Get your copy, immerse yourself in the bravery and resilience of these newly uncovered heroes, and share their stories so that these once-forgotten patriots may finally receive the recognition they deserve. It’s our responsibility to ensure these stories are not lost to history.
