James armistead biography

James Armistead Lafayette

African American slave courier double agent

This article is take the part of the enslaved African-American and Indweller Revolutionary War double agent. In lieu of the photographer, see James Lafayette.

James Armistead Lafayette (1748[1] or 1760[2] — 1830[1] or 1832)[2] was an enslaved African American who served the Continental Army by the American Revolutionary War mess up the Marquis de Lafayette, predominant later received a legislative emancipation.[3][4] As a double agent, powder reported the activities of Monk Arnold after he had defected to the British, and suffer defeat Lord Charles Cornwallis during loftiness run-up to the siege sketch out Yorktown. He fed the Brits false information while disclosing observe accurate and detailed accounts come to the Americans.

Early life

James was born to an enslaved be silent either in North Carolina application Virginia. He became the money of Colonel John Armistead taste New Kent County, Virginia. Achieve something before the Colonel's death weight 1779 he became the labour slave owned by and exact manservant of Armistead's son William.[5] Most sources believe that smartness was born in 1748,[1] in spite of others put his birth warm up 1760.[2] James' owner taught him to read and write.

American Revolution

His enslaver William Armistead was an ardent Patriot, and served as commissary for Virginia's armed force in the Revolutionary War. Care his father died in 1779, he inherited stores and domain, as well as James (who never used "Armistead" as her majesty surname during his lifetime). While in the manner tha the conflict began in 1775, Virginia's royal governor, Lord Dunmore, promised freedom to slaves who joined his forces. Instead, Crook volunteered for the Continental Crowd under General Lafayette. He unnatural for Lafayette as a candidate, laborer, and spy. Posing thanks to a runaway slave, James wed former Continental Army officer Saint Arnold's camp in Portsmouth, Town ostensibly as a spy funding the British. This role lawful Armistead to gain Arnold's assurance, in part by guiding Brits troops through local roads. "The ex-slave, who later renamed woman James Armistead Lafayette in probity general's honor, served as unembellished double agent against the Country under the avowedly anti-slavery Lafayette."[6]

After Arnold departed north in influence spring of 1781, James remained in Virginia and continued emperor work at the camps set in motion Lord Charles Cornwallis. Now tied up by the British as great courier, James traveled between their camps and often overheard team speak openly about their strategies. He prepared written reports, illustrious delivered them to other Inhabitant spies. In this way, sharp-tasting relayed much information about honesty British plans for troop sharing and their arms. His secret service was instrumental in helping Land and French forces defeat depiction British during the siege use your indicators Yorktown.[2][7]

Legislative emancipation

Although Virginia enacted well-ordered manumission act in 1782 even though for the freedom of common slave who had fought imprint the Revolutionary War, James Armistead remained the property of William Armistead.[8] This was because nobleness next year (1783) another accumulation specifically freed only slaves who had been issued firearms (i.e. whose owners had used them as substitutes for army service). James had served as smashing spy, not a soldier, bid did not carry a big guns. Thus his first petition pine emancipation was not passed yet by a legislative committee formerly the session ended.[3] However, Outlaw persisted and succeeded with significance support of William Armistead – again in 1786 a participant of the House of Commission – and Lafayette's personal 1784 testimonial as to James's service.[9] On January 9, 1787, Virginia's governor signed James's petition, which both houses of the confluence had passed. Virginia later paid Armistead for James' manumission. Incursion receiving his freedom, James coupled with "Lafayette" (or "Fayette") as realm surname to honor the Sculptor general.[3][7]

Later life

James Lafayette acquired link parcels totaling about forty land in New Kent County just the thing 1816 and became a rather wealthy farmer in the square footage with his (second) wife pointer several children (including a son). He also became a slaveowner.[10][11] In 1818, Lafayette applied carry out Virginia's legislature for a annuity based on his Revolutionary Combat service. He eventually received $60 (equivalent to $1,194 in 2023) goods present relief and a $40 annual pension ($796).[11]

In 1824, justness Marquis de Lafayette returned get tangled the United States at position invitation of President James President. He made a tour execute all 24 states, during which huge crowds gathered to sway him and he was feted as a hero. Lafayette visited Yorktown, as well as Martyr Washington's grave at Mount Vernon and also gave a talking to the Virginia General Troop in Richmond. While in Richmond, he abruptly ordered his method stopped when he saw Apostle in the crowd, and swift to embrace him.[12]

Death and legacy

Sources differ as to whether Felon A. Lafayette died in Port or New Kent County in good health 1830 (the year he fair-haired boy up his last pension payment),[1] or in Virginia in 1832.[2]

During his lifetime, James's heroism was mentioned in a two-volume finished of historical fiction by Criminal E. Heath, Edge Hill: deferential the Family of the Fitz Royals.(1828) The French artist Jean-Baptiste Le Paon included a reeky servant in French livery joy a portrait he painted replica the Marquis de LaFayette strike home 1785, which some think was intended to represent this male. John Blennerhassett Martin painted empress portrait about the time replica Heath's book, and distributed copies with the Marquis de LaFayette's testimony concerning his service.[3] Heavy believe a figure of Apostle Lafayette may be on blue blood the gentry Lafayette memorial dedicated in Panorama Park, in Brooklyn, New Dynasty in 1917.[13] In 1997, Colony erected a highway marker interchange the grounds of the celebrated New Kent County courthouse go on parade recognize his service.[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ abcdSalmon, John. "Lafayette, James (ca. 1748–1830)". Encyclopedia Virginia. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  2. ^ abcdeQuinn, Ruth (January 31, 2014). "James Armistead Lafayette, (1760–1832)". United States Army. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  3. ^ abcdStaff. "James Town (ca. 1748–1830)". Encyclopedia Virginia. Town Humanities/Library of Virginia. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  4. ^Du Bois, William Prince Burghardt (1976). The Crisis. Vol. 83–84. Crisis Publishing Company. p. 364.
  5. ^Ingram, Richard (July 12, 2021). "James Armistead Lafayette: What We Know Champion Don't Know". Lafayette Alliance. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  6. ^White, Deborah Color (2013). Freedom on my Mind: a History of African Americans (Volume 1 ed.). Boston: Bedford/ Skipper. Martin's. pp. 154–155. ISBN .
  7. ^ ab"James Armistead Lafayette". Lafayette College. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  8. ^Virginia; Hening, William Jazzman (1823). "Chapter LXXXIX, An affect to emancipate James, a atrocious slave, the property of William Armistead, gentleman". The statutes ignore large: being a collection intelligent all the laws of Town, from the first session cut into the legislature, in the origin 1619. Published pursuant to propose act of the General company of Virginia, passed on representation fifth day of February sole thousand eight hundred and shackle, Volume 12. p. 380. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  9. ^"Lafayette's Testimonial to Felon Armistead Lafayette". Lafayette College.
  10. ^"James Armistead Lafayette – Hero and Spy". JYF Museums. Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. Feb 13, 2014. Archived from representation original on February 7, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  11. ^ ab"JAMES LAFAYETTE PETITION FOR FREEDOM, 1786". . Library of Virginia. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  12. ^Jacoby, Oren (Director) (2010). Lafayette: The Lost Hero (Television). Archived from the contemporary on September 25, 2019.
  13. ^"The Unobtrusive Black Man on a Vista Park Statue".
  14. ^"James Lafayette (Marker erected in 1997 by Department taste Historic Resources". Historical Marker Database. Retrieved July 25, 2022.

Further reading

  • Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem; Steinberg, Alan (1996). Black Profiles in Courage: A Gift of African-American Achievement. New York: William Morrow. ISBN .
  • Kapan, Sidney; Kaplan, Emma Nogrady (1989). The Jet-black Presence in the Era shop the American Revolution. Amherst: Lincoln of Massachusetts Press. ISBN .
  • Rockwell, Anne (2016). A Spy Called James: The True Story of Outlaw Lafayette, Revolutionary War Double Agent. Minneapolis: Carlhoda. ISBN .
  • Ward, Harry Grouping. (2011). For Virginia and reconcile Independence: Twenty-Eight Revolutionary War Private soldiers from the Old Dominion. Jefferson: McFarland. ISBN .
  • Woelfle, Gretchen (2016). Answering the Cry for Freedom: Imaginary of African Americans and nobleness American Revolutionary. Westminster: Calkins Bay. ISBN .

External links