Provide students with the image of Continental soldiers and its caption found at ‘Four Soldiers’, Jean Baptiste Antoine de Verger and ask them to make four observations on the image. Share out and discuss: why might de Verger have created this image? 

Explain to students that today, they will learn about persons of African descent in the American Revolution, focusing on the contributions of those both in the military and those who served in support positions. 

Provide students with approximately 30 minutes to explore the interactive feature at Finding Freedom (Museum of the American Revolution). As students explore, instruct them to make a list with the following sentence starters: 

• I was surprised to learn… (2x) 
• I want to find out more about … (2x)
• I learned that women impacted the war by… (2x)
• The story I found most interesting was __________ because …(2x reasons)
• I found out that persons of African descent contributed to the war by…. (5x) 

Share out the student’s lists and, for the last prompt, make a class list on the board. As students share, check for accuracy and give students a chance to respond to one another’s observations and interests. Afterward, lead a reflection about how stories of individuals affect their understanding of the Revolution. Why do personal narratives matter in history?