Unveiling the Past: Analyzing Primary Documents on Harry Washington's Life

In 1775, Lord Dunmore declared that any indentured servant or enslaved person who fought for the British during the Revolutionary War would be considered free. This led to the formation of the Ethiopian Regiment, which grew to nearly 800 members before being disbanded in 1776. The Black Pioneers, a non-combat group, emerged from the remnants of the Ethiopian Regiment and provided support services to the British Royal Artillery. Harry Washington rose to the rank of corporal and fought with the Black Pioneers from approximately 1776 to 1783. 

After the American victory in the Revolutionary War, the losing side couldn't free the enslaved. Many seeking freedom fled to British ships. The British granted certificates of freedom to those who aided them, but these certificates had limitations. 

It wasn’t until the spring of 1783 that the British began evacuating newly freed people out of the United States. The record of this exodus is kept in the Book of Negroes, which took note of each individual boarding a ship, their age when they escaped their enslaver and their intended destination. These British ships had several destinations spanning the British empire including Nova Scotia, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and England itself. Free people would go on to establish their own colonies in these areas. 

• D2.Geo.2.9-12. Use maps, satellite images, photographs, and other representations to explain relationships between the locations of places and regions and their political, cultural, and economic dynamics. 

• D2.His.3.9-12. Use questions generated about individuals and groups to assess how the significance of their actions changes over time and is shaped by the historical context.  

• D2.His.4.9-12. Analyze complex and interacting factors that influenced the perspectives of people during different historical eras. 

• D2.His.5.9-12. Analyze how historical contexts shaped and continue to shape people’s perspectives

1. This activity can be accessed online or via hard copies. You are encouraged to pre-plan the groups you’ll put them in. Strategically grouping students will aid in the smoothness of the activity overall. Groups are recommended to consist of 3-5 students.

   • It is recommended that each group print at least 2 copies of each document. This will allow most, if not all, group members to look at the document(s) together and discuss them.

2. Skill-wise, your class should be familiar with analyzing and extracting information from primary sources. If you haven’t explicitly taught primary source analysis, there is a Primary Source Analysis lesson plan available that covers that.

3. Content-wise, your students should be familiar with Dunmore’s Proclamation and what that potential meant to enslaved people during the Revolutionary Era. There is a slide deck provided to provide some background information.

Students will be reading through a variety of primary documents provided below within the Materials & Media. Instructions specific for students' use are titled "Student Activity Worksheet—Harry Washington" and "Student Activity Instructions—Harry Washington."

You have three options for how you would like to run this primary source activity. Option A (whole class directed):  You may opt to pull up each document on a screen or have students do one document at a time as a whole class activity, with you leading them through each question. Option B (mixed independent): You can opt to have students come to you to gather the documents. This option lets you see how quickly students are going through the materials. If you decide to go this route, it is suggested that one student be the speaker of their group to come up for the next piece. This minimizes chaos and overwhelm on your end. Option C (mostly independent): You can leave students with the document folders (or paper/binder clipped) and they can pace themselves. Either option works; choose what works best for the class you’re teaching.

Students may use the worksheet to show their learning as well. 

Questions: At the end of research, students can write a mock email to Sarah, Harry’s descendant, explaining what happened to Harry during his lifetime. Consider using the following questions and your worksheet to guide your email. 

1. Approximately when was Harry born? 

2. What did Harry do during the Revolutionary War?  

3. What happened to Harry at the end of the Revolutionary War? Where did he go? How did he get there? 

• If students are curious about what happened to Harry post-Nova Scotia, here’s a brief blurb: Harry’s story does not end in Nova Scotia! Nova Scotia came with its own obstacles. White Loyalists were upset that they had to compete with free Blacks for work in Nova Scotia. Shelburne had their own race riots in 1784, which was 10 days of violence mostly targeted toward the free Black population. If you want to read more in-depth, here’s the Canadian Encyclopedia entry.
  
  In 1791, a representative from the Sierra Leone Company came to see if any free Blacks were interested in coming to Freetown to create a settlement. They were told the settlement would be close to major trade routes and waterways, and anyone coming would be given land grants. When Harry and hundreds of other free Blacks signed up for this journey, it became clear this wasn’t the case.
  
  They faced similar obstacles to those in Nova Scotia and, somewhat, the United States. The new settlers could work for wages, however, a large portion of them went to the Company. They were told when and how to work and were penalized if they didn’t follow instructions. Upset with this treatment, and continued quasi-enslavement, the settlers (including Harry) rose up against the Sierra Leone Company in 1800. This revolution was largely unsuccessful and caused upwards of 40 men, one of which was Harry, to be exiled. It is at this point in the historical record that Harry disappears