America's First Veterans

The Forgotten Patriots were free, freed, and overwhelmingly enslaved men, women and children who served or provided aid and comfort during the American Revolution. But each of them had one thing in common …they understood that freedom is not free.

They came from the farms of the north, the eastern seashore along the coast and the plantations of the south, they were part of America’s first veterans.

And after the war, like the sons and daughters of subsequent wars many went west to start new lives, others remained in the communites where they were born, and some were never given their day of freedom.

The Forgotten Patriots were the grandfathers and great-grandfathers of the men and women who served in the Civil War. Many of the descendants of the Forgotten Patriots gave the ultimate sacrifice when their DNA was spread on the shores of  Europe,  Asia and Africa during the wars of World War I, World War II, Viet Nam and evey war and conflict since.

The Society of the First African Families of English America aims to systemically increase the awareness and appreciation of Forgotten Patriots through a series of community-based interactive projects.  The purpose is to institutionalize this history into the fabric of our local communities and explore the role of the Forgotten Patriots in the success of the Revolutionary War and the role their descendants played in all of the  wars that followed. 

This living history initiative will be an intergenerational project, that is inclusive to all who have served and those who wish to serve and will include and reflect the diversity of our military then and now, including:

• Veterans and civilians who can directly trace their ancestry to a Forgotten Patriot
• Veterans who have served in the Armed Forces
• College (Senior ROTC) and high school (Junior ROTC) Cadets.
• College and high school students who serve in organizations rooted in citizenship and public service.
• African and Native American historians and historical societies.