Monument in Honor of Black Patriots Who Served in the Revolutionary War
Black Patriots: The Pursuit of Transcendent Liberty
Located outside the Maryland State House in Annapolis, this three-element sculpture installation is in honor of the Black Patriots who served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.
The first element of the monument is a bronze sculpture inspired by Maryland Black Patriot, Thomas Carney, who famously rescued his wounded commanding officer on the battlefield. Black Patriots in the Continental Army (as well their Indigenous colleagues) faced the dual burden of potential death in combat and, uniquely, uncertainty about their liberty at the conclusion of the Revolutionary War. At best, these patriots faced a future of second-class citizenship, and at worst, enslavement.
The second element of the monument honors the colonial era camp followers who supported the soldiers by providing essential and life saving services. During the early part of the Revolutionary War, more soldiers died from disease than from combat. The washerwoman's service directly saved soldiers' lives. Symbolically, she also represents the hope of cleansing the new nation of its nascent injustices and contradictions.
The final element is a granite historical bench, which includes excerpts from a 1783 essay reasoning for liberty. Along the perimeter of the historical bench is text that broadly imagines the perspective of the Black Patriots before, during, and after the Revolutionary War.
Black Patriots Monument sculpture "Acts of Agency" front view
Black Patriots Monument sculpture "Toward Freedom" front view
Black Patriots Monument Historical Bench front view
RESOURCES & COLLABORATORS
Listed below are some of the resources, talented individuals, and groups whom each had a hand in helping to birth this monument:
RESEARCH
“The Story of Mr. Thomas Carney: A Maryland Patriot of the Revolutionary War” by Steven X. Lee
"Standing in Their Own Light: African American Patriots in the American Revolution" by Judith Van Buskirk
"‘They Were Good Soldiers’: African–Americans Serving in the Continental Army, 1775-1783" by John U. Rees
“The Colored Patriots of the American Revolution” by William Cooper Nell
“Don Troiani's Black Soldiers in America's Wars: 1754–1865” by John U. Rees, James L. Kochan, and Don Troiani
“Whatever Shall I Wear? A Guide to Assembling a Woman's Basic 18th C. Wardrobe” by Mara Riley
RESEARCH (continued)
“Everyday Dress of Rural America, 1783-1800” by Merideth Wright
“The American Revolution” a film by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt
COLLABORATORS
THE DREAM TEAM
Elaine Rice Bachmann
Mark Schneidman
Ryan Peterson
Nora Howell
Maryland State Archives
Members of the State House Trust
Black Patriot Monument Advisory Committee
Department of General Services
Maryland State Arts Council
HISTORIANS - Soldiers
Ross Kimmel
Judith Van Buskirk, Ph. D.
Lawrence Babits, Ph.D.
Christopher L. Brown, D. Phil.
Tyler Putnam, Ph.D.
Henry Cooke
Fred Gaede
HISTORIANS - Washerwoman
Nicole Belolan, Ph.D.
Cheyney McKnight
COLLABORATORS (continued)
MODELS
Allan Pretty Patterson
Amber Rodgers
Xsist
Peter Williams
Myriam Casimir, Ph.D.
Gabriel Schama
Jean Francois Clavreul
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
Artworks Foundry
Coldspring Granite
Colin Nitta
Campion Hruby Landscape Architects
Voxeljet America
The Christman Company
James Posey Associates
Lorton Stone
Ruppert Landscaping
Freestate Electrical
Graphics By Design
Bay Area Models Guild
Staged Cinema Wardrobe
Cadet Legal
Marie Claire Casimir
Natasha Singh
Grace
There are, surely, many more people involved, both seen and unseen. If there are any omissions, they are an oversight on my part and not a reflection of the immense gratitude I feel.