Beyond Loyalists and Patriots: Centering Black and Indigenous Americans When Teaching the American Revolution.

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Bibliographic Details
Title:	Beyond Loyalists and Patriots: Centering Black and Indigenous Americans When Teaching the American Revolution. (cover story)
Authors:	Ani, Tiferet (AUTHOR)
Source:	Rethinking Schools. Summer2026, Vol. 40 Issue 4, p14-18. 5p. 10 Cartoon or Caricatures.
Subject Terms:	*Critical thinking, African Americans, Native Americans, Historical errors, Sovereignty, American Revolutionary War, 1775-1783, Great men & women
Geographic Terms:	United States
Abstract:	The article focuses on a mixer lesson titled "Beyond Loyalists and Patriots: Black and Native Americans Fight for Their Freedom in the U.S. War of Independence," developed to address omissions and distortions in traditional Revolutionary War narratives regarding Black and Indigenous peoples. It highlights how these groups made complex, strategic decisions to pursue their own freedom and sovereignty, often allying with either the British or the American colonists based on their interests, and how their experiences challenge dominant founding myths. The lesson introduces students to diverse historical figures such as Deborah Squash, a self-emancipated Black woman who fled to British lines, and Onitositah, a Cherokee leader who sought peace but was ultimately killed by U.S. settlers. By presenting these nuanced perspectives, the lesson encourages critical engagement with the American Revolution’s legacy of liberty and exclusion. [Extracted from the article]
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Database:	Education Research Complete

Description
Abstract:	The article focuses on a mixer lesson titled "Beyond Loyalists and Patriots: Black and Native Americans Fight for Their Freedom in the U.S. War of Independence," developed to address omissions and distortions in traditional Revolutionary War narratives regarding Black and Indigenous peoples. It highlights how these groups made complex, strategic decisions to pursue their own freedom and sovereignty, often allying with either the British or the American colonists based on their interests, and how their experiences challenge dominant founding myths. The lesson introduces students to diverse historical figures such as Deborah Squash, a self-emancipated Black woman who fled to British lines, and Onitositah, a Cherokee leader who sought peace but was ultimately killed by U.S. settlers. By presenting these nuanced perspectives, the lesson encourages critical engagement with the American Revolution’s legacy of liberty and exclusion. [Extracted from the article]
ISSN:	08956855