1780 Black Camp Rebellion facts for kids

The 1780 Black Camp Rebellion was a short uprising by people called Loyalists in Sussex County, Delaware. It happened during the American Revolutionary War. Loyalists were people who supported the British king and did not want America to become independent. They were sometimes called Tories by those who wanted independence. This rebellion was their attempt to keep Sussex County under British control.

The uprising lasted from July 15 to about August 10, 1780. After that, American forces were sent to stop them and arrest those involved. Most of the people in the rebellion came from areas called Cedar Creek and Broadkill Hundred. Their main meeting place was in a swamp about six miles north of Georgetown, near where Ellendale, Delaware is today. This area was a wild, unsettled place between Delaware and Maryland.

Who Was Involved in the Rebellion?

Most of the people who joined the rebellion were poor farmers. They were very frustrated by how the war had changed their lives. The main leaders of this uprising were Bartholomew Banynum (also known as Barnum) from Broadkill Hundred and William Dutton from Cedar Creek Hundred.

Why Did the Rebellion Happen?

People in Sussex County lived far from big cities like Boston, Philadelphia, and New York. These cities were centers of the American Revolution. Many people in Sussex County did not have strong feelings against British rule. When the Revolutionary War began, many residents felt upset because the war disrupted their daily lives and work.

Farmers in Sussex County, like others across the colonies, struggled during the war. Their markets in Philadelphia and Baltimore were often closed. Sometimes, American or British soldiers would take their farm products. In 1780, things got even worse because a summer drought ruined most of the wheat harvest.

Many farmers were already struggling with high taxes because of the war. By 1780, many were very poor and could not pay these taxes. The main reason for the rebellion seemed to be when the British captured Charleston, South Carolina, in May 1780. This event made the Loyalists believe the British were winning the war.

What Happened During the Rebellion?

Around July 15, 1780, some men from Broadkill Hundred met to talk about their problems and frustrations with the war. They had heard that the British had captured Charleston. They believed that most of the southern colonies, from Maryland to Georgia, would soon be under British control.

The group started talking about taking control of Sussex County for the British. They thought this would earn them favor with the British. They decided to go ahead with their plan. They chose Bartholomew Barnum, a local farmer, as their captain and began to train. Around the same time, a similar group formed in Cedar Creek Hundred. They chose their own leaders: William Dutton as captain, William Ratcliffe as first lieutenant, Job Townsend as second lieutenant, and Sengo Potter as the company clerk.

The two groups joined together for training and planning. They quietly recruited other Loyalists in the area. The Loyalists set up "camps" in the western part of Cedar Creek Hundred. The biggest camp was in the Black Swamp, about six miles north of Georgetown.

In early August, they started their public actions. About 100 men gathered and went through the countryside. They announced themselves as "Tories" (Loyalists). They took all the weapons and ammunition from families who supported the American Revolution. Their actions quickly attracted many more people, with somewhere between 400 and 500 joining the Loyalist camps.

Even with their "training," the Loyalists were not very organized. They knew little about military plans. They also did not seem to contact the British for help. By August 7, the Delaware government learned about the uprising and decided to stop it.

American forces, led by General John Dagworthy, were sent from Kent County to break up the group. General Dagworthy's soldiers spent three days chasing the Loyalists between their different camps until they were scattered. About 200 Loyalists were captured by Dagworthy's forces. They were brought before a special military court.

Most of the people captured had to pay large fines. However, the court considered that many of them were poor. For example, tenant farmers William Deputy, Solomon Veach, and John Workman only had to pay a small amount. Some were ordered to serve in the Continental Army. A few faced serious charges, but no one was put to death.

On November 4, 1780, the Delaware General Assembly pardoned everyone who had taken part in the rebellion. Still, many of the Loyalists were treated badly by their neighbors for months afterward. People hoped this would make them move away. Despite this rough treatment, most of the Loyalists stayed in Sussex County even after the war ended.

In 1790, the General Assembly removed the rule that voters had to promise loyalty to the American cause. After this, Loyalists generally supported the Federalist Party. Those who had supported the war became supporters of the Democratic-Republican Party in the early 1790s.