Rather be at Sea
Momma always said God was mad when there was a thunderstorm,
But the storms at sea let me be me.
The waves jerk us to the left and to the right,
The wall that keeps us apart does not exist at sea.
When I’m at sea God sees me for me,
He judges me on form, fierceness, and fight.
On land he sees my appearance; dark as night.
The sea washes away the barrier that keeps us apart,
On land I work for him, on the sea I work with him.
This piece portrays the life of a black sailor fighting at sea alongside white sailors. This black sailor describes his life at sea being different than his life on land. When at sea, respect is earned based off of fighting ability and contributions. However, when he is on land, he is judged by the color of his skin. This poem ties into the idea that when the American Revolution started, black people began to gain a place in society, although the white race remained superior. During the American Revolution, naval warfare gave blacks the opportunity to work together with whites, and thus this unification set aside racial barriers and prejudices.
Throughout history, there has always been a marginalized group that has suffered from oppression. If you were black, a woman, lived with a disability, or were a member of a minority group in North America you were inferior to white males. Around 1775, when the American Revolution began, blacks started to gain a presence in North American society. Numerous free and enslaved blacks were eager to contribute to the war and fight against the British troops. Various states north of the Potomac River enlisted slaves to fight for their cause, whereas southern states denied the right for black people to volunteer in the Revolution. However, white males had no trouble capturing free blacks and using them as pilots and able bodied seamen. Although, if a black man was lucky enough to be recruited into the army, he would have to chose from a limited list of military roles: gunners, sailors, or privateers. If you were chosen to be part of the Continental Army you would have a different set of roles: wagoners, cooks, waiters, or artisans which were often referred to as supporting roles. In 1778, the Rhode Island Black Battalion was established as a result of the state not gathering its “quota” for the Army. They agreed that if the slaves fought for the allotted time, they would gain emancipation. This regiment became very popular among the black people because if they agreed to serve in the war, they would eventually escape bondage. Being free was never an opportunity that had been posed to them, so in the slave’s eyes this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. As the end of the war neared, 5,000 to 8,000 blacks participated in the American Revolution, risking their lives to establish an independent and free American society. Many of the black people had been released from slavery which created an optimistic view for the future of blacks in America. Overall, the American Revolution became a rather hopeful time for blacks, letting them finally uphold a place in society. Feel free to learn more here.
Sources:
"Others" in the Revolutionary War 
I thought it was really interesting how you implemented a poem into your blog and not just throwing information. It was unique. This ties in with the book about African Americans and their roles in the American Revolution.
-Nick
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I liked that you introduced this article with a poem and analyzed it to show the part poc and marginalized groups played in the revolution. It showed a perspective from a different point of view that the book doesn’t go into in its European telling of the Revolution
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I enjoyed reading this and the ending of this post really helped sum up all of the information, I also had no clue that Blacks gained power during the American Revolution. I believe that the establishment of Black people in society during the revolution could possibly be the only positive outcome of any war ever. – Finn
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I enjoyed reading the article because of the defeat of the topic. The writer of this seems to know what they are talking about the difference in the black society before during and after the war. THey poem really talks about the experience of the black sailor at war than after. At war all were equal but after it when back to somewhat normal.
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