Harry Washington facts for kids

Harry Washington (born around 1740, died 1800) was an important figure in history. He was a Black Loyalist during the American Revolutionary War. Harry was enslaved by George Washington, who later became the first U.S. President.

After the war, the British helped him move to Nova Scotia. In 1792, he joined nearly 1,200 other freed people. They moved to Sierra Leone to start a new colony for free people of color.

Harry was born in Gambia, West Africa. He was captured in a war and sold into slavery. George Washington bought him for his plantations in Virginia. During the American Revolutionary War, Harry escaped. He joined the British forces as a corporal in the Black Pioneers.

After the war, the British helped Harry and other Black Loyalists settle in Nova Scotia. They were given land there. Harry married Jenny, who was also a freed American slave.

In 1792, Harry and Jenny were among many freed people who moved to Sierra Leone. The British had started a new colony there for people of African descent. In 1800, Harry Washington joined a rebellion against the British rulers in Sierra Leone. He was sent away to the Bullom Shore, where he later died.

Harry's Early Life and Escape

Harry Washington was born in West Africa around 1740. He was called a "saltwater slave" because he was born in Africa, not America. In 1763, he was bought in Virginia. He worked for George Washington in the Great Dismal Swamp. This swamp is in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina.

Later, Harry worked at one of George Washington's plantations in Mount Vernon. In 1771, he ran away from Mount Vernon. He found safety in New York but later returned to his owner.

In 1776, Harry escaped again. He had been working with horses in the stables at Mount Vernon. This time, he joined the Virginia Ethiopian Regiment. This group was made up of escaped slaves. It was started by Royal Governor Lord Dunmore during the American Revolutionary War. Dunmore promised freedom to slaves of rebel owners if they joined the British army.

Serving in the American Revolutionary War

In late 1776, Harry moved to New York. He became a corporal in the Black Pioneers. This group was part of the British forces. They were attached to a British artillery unit. The British controlled New York City for most of the war.

When the American Revolution ended, the British evacuated about 3,000 Black Loyalists from New York. Harry Washington was one of them. They were resettled in Nova Scotia, Canada. The British government gave them land there.

When officials listed people for evacuation, Harry said he was 43 years old. He also said he had escaped Mount Vernon in 1776.

Moving to Nova Scotia and Sierra Leone

Harry Washington traveled by British ship to Nova Scotia. Two other former slaves from Mount Vernon also went with him. He lived for several years in Birchtown, Nova Scotia. This town became the largest free African-American city in North America.

In Birchtown, Harry married Jenny, another freed slave. They started planning for their future together.

Harry and Jenny were not happy with conditions in Nova Scotia. So, they decided to join 1,192 other Black colonists. They moved to Sierra Leone, West Africa. This was a new colony founded by the British. Harry hoped to start a farm there. He wanted to use scientific farming methods he learned at Mount Vernon.

Rebellion in Sierra Leone

In 1800, Harry Washington was part of a rebellion. Several hundred settlers joined him in a short uprising against British rule. The main reason for the rebellion was taxes. This was a problem similar to what caused the American Revolution.

The Sierra Leone Company managed the colony for the British. They made the settlers pay taxes, called quitrents, to use their land. The land still belonged to the company. The rebels formed their own government. They wrote new laws and posted them on the company administrator's office door.

Exile and Later Life

The Sierra Leone Company sent a group of Jamaican Maroons to stop the rebellion. After the rebellion was defeated, Harry Washington was put on trial. He was among the rebels sentenced to be sent away. He was exiled to Bullom Shore, another place in Sierra Leone.

Harry became one of the leaders of a new settlement there. However, he died from disease. His descendants and those of other African Americans are now part of the Sierra Leone Creole people.