William Lee (aka Billy Lee/ Will Lee) (1752?-1810)

The mulatto slave William Lee appears together with his owner, U.S. President George Washington, in two and quite possibly three paintings, including the iconic Washington Crossing the Delaware by the artist Emanuel Leutze, where he is seen third from left in the boat where Washington … Read MoreWilliam Lee (aka Billy Lee/ Will Lee) (1752?-1810)

Colonel Joseph Louis Cook (ca. 1737-1814)

Joseph Louis Cook was an Afro-Iroquois leader and a Commissioned Officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Cook was born Nia-man-rigounant around the year 1737 in an area now known as Schuylerville, New York. His father was African, and his mother was … Read MoreColonel Joseph Louis Cook (ca. 1737-1814)

André Rigaud (1761-1811)

Benoit Joseph André Rigaud was a Haitian political and military figure, who controlled Southern Haiti during the country’s civil war against the North, then controlled by Toussaint Louverture during its war for Independence, 1791-1803. Rigaud was the leader of the Mulatto party after the Haïtien Révolution began and political chief of … Read MoreAndré Rigaud (1761-1811)

Haitian Soldiers at the Battle of Savannah (1779)

The Battle of Savannah, Georgia, which occurred between September 16 and October 18, 1779, became one of the bloodiest battles during the American Revolutionary War. At the time, British forces numbering 3,200 troops had occupied Savannah, then the capital of Georgia, for a year.  They were … Read MoreHaitian Soldiers at the Battle of Savannah (1779)