Events

Through the experiences of William and Benjamin Frank, two free Black brothers who enlisted in the Second Rhode Island Regiment of the Continental Army during the American Revolution, Shirley Green, adjunct professor of history at the University of Toledo and Bowling Green State University, focuses our attention on the Black experience during the American Revolution by underscoring the significant distinction between free Blacks in military service and those who had been enslaved, and how they responded in different ways to the harsh realities of racism. Drawing from the experiences of William and Benjamin Frank, free Black brothers who enlisted in the Continental Army's Second Rhode Island Regiment, Dr. Green presents a complex account of Black life during the revolutionary era to demonstrate that free men of color shared with white soldiers the desire to improve their condition of life and to maintain their families safely in post-colonial North America.

Registration is requested. To attend the author’s talk in-person at Anderson House, or to watch virtually, please use the appropriate link below.

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About the Speaker

Shirley L. Green received her Ph.D. in history from Bowling Green State University after a twenty-six-year career in law enforcement. She is an adjunct professor of history at the University of Toledo and Bowling Green State University. She is currently the director of the Toledo Police Museum in Toledo, Ohio.