On 26 April 1806 Peter Kiteredge sent a letter to the selectmen of Medfield, Massachusetts, requesting assistance for himself and his family. This document provides a summary of Kiteredge’s life as an African American who was born into slavery, but won his freedom fighting in the Revolutionary War.

In the letter, Kiteredge states that it was his unfortunate lot to pass the best part of his life as an enslaved person, mostly in the service of Dr. Jhan Kiteredge and his family. In 1775 or 6, at the age of 25, he entered service as a soldier in the Continental army and fought in the Revolutionary War for five years. In that time he picked up a condition from which he continued to suffer, and which was preventing him from working. He was thus asking for help from the selectmen as a former soldier who had fought for American freedom.

Kiteredge’s story is a window into the life of just one of over 5,000 African Americans who fought in the Revolutionary War. This number included current and former enslaved people, drawn to a cause that they frequently linked to their own futures and freedom. On the other side, Lord Dunmore’s proclamation in 1775 promised freedom to enslaved people who fought for the British. Enslaved people were also sent in the place of owners who did not want to fight. By 1778 many states were granting freedom to enslaved people who served. The Continental Army was therefore far more diverse than the popular imagination often suggests; outside the officer class it was predominantly made up of men like Peter Kiteredge – the poor, the young, indentured servants, enslaved people and former enslaved peeople. Kiteredge’s life was far from easy after the war, but he had won his freedom, and could justly present himself as an American patriot and citizen.

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