On a wikiwalk related to a TL idea that's been bothering me, I discovered this:
If said three thousand former slaves participated in some major victories, could this become a "standard" means of manumission? Slaves serving on the frontier, at various forts, or at sea for a number of years perhaps getting freed and their former master compensated in lieu of a soldier's pension perhaps?
I suppose viewing this as the beginning of an American janissary/mamluk class of renowned soldiers would be going way too far, even if the narrative is somewhat appealing. I also don't doubt that even if this experiment is successful that there would be very serious opposition from beginning to end.
Thoughts?
What if that plan went through? Would it set a long-term precedent for American recruitment? If it occurs at such scale, it'd certainly have a cultural impact on how black freedmen were viewed, and on attitudes toward slavery in general.During the Revolutionary War, there was a series of proposals to arm slaves, free them, and compensate their masters. In 1779, Hamilton's friend John Laurens suggested such a unit be formed under his command, to relieve besieged Charleston, South Carolina; Hamilton proposed to the Continental Congress to create up to four battalions of slaves for combat duty, and free them. Congress recommended that South Carolina (and Georgia) acquire up to three thousand slaves, if they saw fit; they did not, even though the South Carolina governor and Congressional delegation had supported the plan in Philadelphia.[91]
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(91)^ Mitchell, pp. I:175–7, I:550 n. 92, citing the Journals of the Continental Congress, March 29, 1779; Wallace, p. 455. Congress offered to compensate the masters after the war.
If said three thousand former slaves participated in some major victories, could this become a "standard" means of manumission? Slaves serving on the frontier, at various forts, or at sea for a number of years perhaps getting freed and their former master compensated in lieu of a soldier's pension perhaps?
I suppose viewing this as the beginning of an American janissary/mamluk class of renowned soldiers would be going way too far, even if the narrative is somewhat appealing. I also don't doubt that even if this experiment is successful that there would be very serious opposition from beginning to end.
Thoughts?