Washington Mall Monument to Black Revolutionary War Patriots Gets Another Shot

Most accounts of the Revolutionary War give the impression that America's independence from Britain was won by brave white men, but Maurice A. Barboza wants to tell the rest of the story.

Mr. Barboza is trying to revive an effort that stalled three years ago due to fundraising and management problems to build the first monument on the Mall honoring black Colonial soldiers.

"They were Americans, and they should be honored," Mr. Barboza said. "They were founders of the country."

Congress first approved the idea for a memorial to black Revolutionary War soldiers at a site between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument more than 20 years ago, but the effort has since become stuck in Washington's bureaucratic maze.

You can read more about the effort in the Associated Press story that is available in many places, including at http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/aug/10/mall-monument-to-black-patriots-gets-another-shot/. Another story about the same efforts may be found at http://www.libertyfunddc.org/.

Comments

[Revolutionary Daughter]

For anyone tracing their family history back to one of these patriots the following book published by the DAR might be of interest.

Forgotten Patriots - African American and American Indian Patriots of the Revolutionary War: A Guide to Service, Sources, and Studies
This second edition publication identifies over 6,600 African Americans and American Indians who contributed to American independence. The 9" x 12" hardbound book with 872 pages contains details of the documented service of the listed Patriots, historical commentary on happenings of the time, an assortment of illustrations, and an extensive bibliography of research sources related to the topic.

[Daytona-Ormond FLSSAR]

I've Googled and checked Amazon.com for this book and can't find it.

A more precise description or where it might be purchased would be helpful

[Jerry Barrett]

The DAR Web Site has more details on the book:

Forgotten Patriots - African American and American Indian Patriots of the
Revolutionary War: A Guide to Service, Sources, and Studies is available for
$35 (plus $8 S&H) from the DAR Store at www.dar.org/darstore or by calling
1-888-673-2732.

For more information about Forgotten Patriots and to read excerpts from the
book, visit www.dar.org/forgottenpatriots.

[Adele Just]

Is there a national memorial for Revolutionary War sailors and soldiers anywhere in the country?

[Adele Just]

Is there a national memorial for Revolutionary War sailors and soldiers anywhere in the country?

[Adele Just]

Is there a national memorial for Revolutionary War sailors and soldiers anywhere in the country?

[Maurice Barboza]

There are more than a dozen memorials to individual Revolutionary War soldiers around Washington, including multiple ones at Lafayette Park in front of the White House. A statue was recently approved to honor Francis Marion to be place in a park bearing his name. You could call the Jefferson and Washington Monuments reminders of the Revolutionary War. There is a memmorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence in Constitution Gardens on the National Mall. I'll bet you'll find hundreds of memorials around the nation, not including street names, city names, and a host of other commemorations to the same patriots mentioned in history books, novels, and motion pictures for generations. I'm surprised none have immediately come to mind.