1778

Rhode Island, facing a troop shortage, passed a law allowing enslaved men to enlist in the Continental Army in exchange for freedom, leading to the formation of the First Rhode Island Regiment — the only majority-Black regiment in the Continental Army. The regiment distinguished itself at the Battle of Rhode Island in August 1778, repelling multiple British and Hessian assaults.

The First Rhode Island Regiment, composed largely of formerly enslaved Black soldiers, successfully repelled three separate assaults by veteran Hessian troops at the Battle of Rhode Island, one of the hardest-fought engagements of the Revolutionary War. Their valor was praised by officers on both sides and earned the regiment a lasting reputation as one of the most effective units in the Continental Army.