Black Boys facts for kids

The Black Boys were a group of brave settlers in colonial Pennsylvania who stood up for what they believed was right. They were also known as the Brave Fellows or Loyal Volunteers. This group got their name because they would blacken their faces during their actions. They were upset with traders who were trying to break the laws by selling supplies that could be used for fighting to Native Americans. This happened during a time called Pontiac's War. Many settlers in the Conococheague Valley were very angry because they had suffered a lot from attacks during the war. A sad event called the Enoch Brown school massacre in 1764 made their anger even stronger.

Who Were the Black Boys?

The Black Boys were led by a frontiersman named James "Black Boy Jimmy" Smith. On March 6, 1765, the Black Boys, dressed like Native Americans, stopped and destroyed several wagons full of supplies. These wagons were on their way to Fort Pitt. Some of the items in the wagons were official gifts meant to help make peace with Native Americans. However, other items were secret trade goods sent by a trader named George Croghan. He was trying to make up for money he lost during the French and Indian War. Croghan had secretly and illegally included gunpowder in these shipments. He hoped to make a lot of money once trading with Native Americans was allowed again.

Why Did They Act?

Even though the shipment had illegal goods, British army officers at nearby Fort Loudoun sided with Croghan and the traders. The Black Boys kept using tactics similar to Native American raiding parties to stop shipments from moving through the valley. They even surrounded and fired upon Fort Loudoun several times.

Later Actions and Impact

After formal peace was made in Pontiac's War, things calmed down. But in 1769, when it looked like another war with Native Americans might start, the Black Boys acted again. They stopped another wagon train. British troops arrested some of the Black Boys and put them in prison at Fort Bedford.

On September 12, 1769, James Smith and the Black Boys surprised and captured Fort Bedford. No one was hurt, and the prisoners were set free. This event is mainly known from Smith's own writings. Some historians believe it really happened, while others think it might be a bit of a tall tale.

Troops were sent to arrest Smith. During a struggle, a friend of Smith was shot and killed. Smith was arrested and accused of causing the death, but he was found not guilty. There were doubts about whose weapon had fired the shot.

How Were They Different?

The Black Boys were similar to an earlier group called the Paxton Boys because both groups were unhappy with the British government and the colonial leaders. However, the Black Boys did not attack Native Americans. Some historians have mixed up these two groups.

The story of the Black Boys has often been forgotten. It was overshadowed by the 1765 Stamp Act crisis, which was a big event leading up to the American Revolution. Still, some historians see the Black Boys' actions as an early sign of the American Revolution.

Black Boys in Pop Culture

A made-up story based on the Black Boys was shown in the 1939 Hollywood movie Allegheny Uprising. The famous actor John Wayne played James Smith in the film. The movie was based on a 1937 history book for boys called The First Rebel: Being a lost chapter of our history and a true narrative of America's first uprising against English military authority, written by Neil H. Swanson.