PETER’S WAR

The life of a young Massachusetts slave who fought for his freedom in the Revolutionary War.

Malcolm (Law/George Mason Univ.; Guns and Violence: The English Experience, 2002, etc.) begins with Peter’s bill of sale, dated 1765. He was just 19 months old, and it was unheard of for a child so young to be sold without his mother. Intrigued by the implications of this document, the author investigated further and uncovered the tale of a heroic, conflicted boy whose dream was to live as a free man with his parents and twin sister. At age 12, as nearby Concord Road filled with the sights and sounds of battle, Peter joined the patriot army. In clear, engaging language, Malcolm reconstructs the surroundings, relationships and political atmosphere of the Revolution: the toil of New England farm life, the battles at Bunker Hill and Yorktown, Commander George Washington and traitor Benedict Arnold. Peter’s tale comes to life in rich detail and provides a new perspective on this era of change—that of a black soldier. His shifting identity—slave boy, adolescent soldier, free man—reflects the mercurial nature of the colonial Congress as it evolved toward eventual victory against the British. Peter, too, ultimately earned his freedom; his final enlistment was rewarded with emancipation. Other slaves would not be so lucky. In counterpoint to Peter’s story, the author introduces Titus, a slave from New Jersey who defected to the British, lured by the false promise of freedom once the war was over. The new American government did not abolish slavery either, despite any optimism it might have instilled in colonial slaves during the war. Malcolm seamlessly captures the intersection of personal, political and military strategy.

History buffs will revel in Peter’s never-before-told story, which makes a vivid addition to Revolutionary War literature.