James Tanzer, Research Services Librarian, George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College

The Facts I Have Now Stated: Black Sailors’ Voices in Maine’s Revolutionary War Pension Records

Historians have recently begun acknowledging the large numbers of Black sailors who served in the Revolutionary War. However, the lack of surviving sources has not only resulted in a scarcity of individual voices, but also furthered an inaccurate narrative that presents these men as a homogeneous group.  

A rare exception can be found in pension applications. These applications encouraged Black veterans to speak candidly about their service, requiring aging veterans to carefully recall the details of their time at war. Accuracy was critical since their claims required corroboration by witnesses and verification with muster rolls and crew lists. This previously underutilized resource provides a rare glimpse into their lives before, during, and after the American Revolution, told–critically–in their own words. 

This paper examines the pension records of three Black Revolutionary War sailors from Maine: London Atis, Sampson Freeman, and Prince McLellan. Analyzing their pension claims, which span from 1818-1836, begins to reveal their stories, and demonstrates that Black Revolutionary War sailors were not a monolith.

James Tanzer is the Special Collections Research Services Librarian at Bowdoin College’s George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives. James has spent 15 years as a museum professional in Maine, and currently serves as Vice President of Lincoln County Historical Association. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in history from Smith College and a Master's degree in medieval history from the University of Toronto. His current research focuses on the Black history of 18th-century Lincoln County, Maine.