17. The British Governor Who Offered American Slaves Freedom if They Fought for King George III
In November, 1775, Virginia’s governor, Lord Dunmore’s issued a proclamation offering freedom to slaves in exchange for service to the Crown. It was in that context that hundreds of slaves escaped their American owners and joined his troops in Norfolk within weeks. Hundreds more arrived each week, and as the number of runaways steadily grew, so did the fear and ire of American masters. Dunmore’s proclamation did not win the British many white Colonial hearts and minds, but it certainly won the hearts and minds of many Colonial blacks.
It also alleviated a severe manpower shortage: it increased the British governor’s available manpower, and simultaneously reduced that of the rebellious colonists. Arming and hastily training the escaped slaves, Dunmore doubled his forces within a few weeks. Unfortunately for him and his black recruits, diseases – particularly typhoid and smallpox – wreaked havoc upon the escaped slaves. Medical care and sanitation standards in those days were generally low even in ideal conditions, and conditions in the camps hastily thrown up for the new recruits were far from ideal.
