Rough Crossings
Encyclopedia
Rough Crossings: Britain, the Slaves and the American Revolution is a history book and television series by Simon Schama
.
This gives an account of the history of thousands of enslaved African American
s who escaped to the British
cause during the American War of Independence. It tells of the legal battles in England
that established that slavery was not legally valid in England itself, how the British government offered freedom to enslaved African Americans if they would fight for the king. Also the book discusses the many ambiguities involved - some loyalists were slave-owners, some blacks were recruited for the War of Independence.
The book then follows the fate of these African American
s: the original group who settled Sierra Leone from London
, those who were sent to Nova Scotia
and were treated unfairly there, and how some then settled in what was to become Sierra Leone
. The descendants of those who settled in Freetown, Sierra Leone are known as the Sierra Leone Creole people
. They have strong ancestral ties with mainly the United States
, Caribbean
, and Canada
.
, on UK tour.
Simon Schama
Simon Michael Schama, CBE is a British historian and art historian. He is a University Professor of History and Art History at Columbia University. He is best known for writing and hosting the 15-part BBC documentary series A History of Britain...
.
This gives an account of the history of thousands of enslaved African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s who escaped to the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
cause during the American War of Independence. It tells of the legal battles in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
that established that slavery was not legally valid in England itself, how the British government offered freedom to enslaved African Americans if they would fight for the king. Also the book discusses the many ambiguities involved - some loyalists were slave-owners, some blacks were recruited for the War of Independence.
The book then follows the fate of these African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s: the original group who settled Sierra Leone from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, those who were sent to Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
and were treated unfairly there, and how some then settled in what was to become Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
. The descendants of those who settled in Freetown, Sierra Leone are known as the Sierra Leone Creole people
Sierra Leone Creole people
The Sierra Leone Creoles, or Krios, are an ethnic group in Sierra Leone, descendants of West Indian slaves from the Caribbean, primarily from Jamaica; freed African American slaves from the Thirteen Colonies resettled from Nova Scotia; and Liberated Africans from various parts of Africa...
. They have strong ancestral ties with mainly the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
In Other Media
In 2007 Headlong Theatre produced a stage adaptation, adapted by Caryl PhillipsCaryl Phillips
Caryl Phillips is a British writer with a Caribbean background, best known as a novelist. He is now professor at Yale University and a visiting professor at Barnard College of Columbia University.-Life:...
, on UK tour.
Book
- Rough Crossings: Britain, The Slaves And The American Revolution - BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
2005-09-08 - Rough Crossings - BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
2006-05-04
Video
- Rough Crossings complete documentary on youtubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- Simon Schama: Rough Crossings (DVD) - BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
2007-07-30 - Rough Crossing - blue post production
See also
- Black LoyalistBlack LoyalistA Black Loyalist was an inhabitant of British America of African descent who joined British colonial forces during the American Revolutionary War...
- African American historyAfrican American historyAfrican-American history is the portion of American history that specifically discusses the African American or Black American ethnic group in the United States. Most African Americans are the descendants of captive Africans held in the United States from 1619 to 1865...
- History of slavery in the United StatesHistory of slavery in the United StatesSlavery in the United States was a form of slave labor which existed as a legal institution in North America for more than a century before the founding of the United States in 1776, and continued mostly in the South until the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in...
- History of Sierra LeoneHistory of Sierra LeoneThe history of Sierra Leone began when the lands became inhabited at least 2,500 years ago. Sierra Leone played a significant part in modern African political liberty and nationalism, and became an independent nation in 1961...