Rox 250: Reflections on Freedom - Black Loyalists during the Revolution

Join us for a personal presentation and discussion with RHS director, artist and scholar Christle Rawlins Jackson. Ms Rawlins will bring to life the story of her ancestors who were Black Loyalists resettled by the British to Nova Scotia.

Christle Rawlins-Jackson is an accomplished

artist, photographer and poet who uses a variety of mediums as conduits for creative expression. She is currently writing about her maternal ancestors, the Black Loyalists of Nova Scotia as well as the Nipmuc of Natick, Massachusetts. She is president of the Beacon Hill Scholars, an organization dedicated to the preservation of the history of 19th century African American abolitionists who lived and owned businesses on Beacon Hill.

A Bit About Black Loyalists

Black Loyalists were people of African descent who supported the British during the American Revolutionary War, motivated by British promises of freedom from slavery. Thousands of enslaved and free Black individuals joined the British forces, fleeing to British lines for a chance at liberty. The primary driver for Black Loyalists was the promise of freedom from slavery, a promise made explicitly by figures like Lord Dunmore, who issued a proclamation offering liberty to enslaved people who joined the British.

Many Black Loyalists served in various roles, from combat units like the Ethiopian Regiment to support positions such as scouts and pioneers.

Resettlement: After the British defeat, approximately 3,000 Black Loyalists were evacuated from New York to Nova Scotia, Canada. They were given certificates of freedom and land grants, though these promises were not always fulfilled.