An estimated 5,000 Blacks fought for independence during the Revolutionary War.
“It’s not recognized by most Americans that perhaps as much as 10 percent of George Washington’s troops were Black,” Dooley said. “It’s reasonable to say that the contribution of Blacks in the American Revolution was indispensable.”
Genealogist Jane Ailes, who also traced Gates’ ancestry, plans to look over 80,000 pension applications for Revolutionary War soldiers and compare the names against federal census records, which often contained information on race.
Ailes said she has already identified more than 20 people who may have served in the Revolutionary War, including an escaped slave.
Gates was inducted into the Sons of the American Revolution earlier this month, and several other members of his family may join as well.
--Associated Press
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