Assign students to one document in the set relating to Black military service in the British and Continental Armies: Changing Policies Toward Peoples of African Descent in the American Revolution Student Handouts Have students read over their document in small groups and create a short caption that summarizes the document and places it within the context of the American Revolution (for example, is the document connected to a major event, such as the Battle of Lexington and Concord? Caused by escalating tensions? Where/when/why?) Students may need to complete some brief research as they complete the analysis. As a class, have students place their document and captions on a vertical timeline of 1775–1785. Documents that signify British actions should be connected to the timeline on the left and American Colonial actions on the right.

Provide students with time to view and read the timeline and discuss: When did positions on people of African descent in the military seem to categorically change for both sides? What are the possibilities as to why changes were made? What questions do you have and how might you find the answers?