BLACK HEROES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Although Davis is clear about the fact that black soldiers in the revolution only occasionally won their own personal liberty, he doesn't go into the question of Washington's initial resistance to having black men in the Continental ranks. Instead of dealing with this sort of issue, which Wakin handles lengthily though clumsily in Black Fighting Men in U.S. History (1971), Davis is content to build an album of black heroes, retelling the relatively well-known stories of Crispus Attucks, James Forten and spy James Armistead, as well as those of men history has for the most part ignored--Oliver Cromwell who died in obscurity in 1853, Prince Whipple who crossed the Delaware with Washington, and many others. Davis really does perform a service in bringing these men's contribution to younger readers' attention, so his overall unincisiveness and occasional rhetorical flourishes may be forgivable, Illustrated with period prints and portraits.