[February 24, 2016] I’m no fan of Black History month because I believe more in the concept of inclusion rather than separation, but I couldn’t pass up providing a short note on an unknown American patriot James Armistead. Here in my blog, it is fundamental to acknowledge that leadership is blind to one’s race, gender, religion, etc. but the reality is that history is not so blind.
James Armistead, an African American slave, served under French aristocrat and military officer General Marquis de Lafayette in the American Revolution. Armistead was the first double spy of the newly formed United States. Assigned to work in traitor Benedict Arnold’s camp as an escaped slave, he got the job and provided valuable military intelligence to Lafayette. He was so good that British General Cornwallis recruited him to spy on the Americans. Armistead instead provided inaccurate information to the British and having an important impact on the war.1
After the war Armistead was granted his freedom and full retirement pension. From then on, James Armistead called himself James Lafayette.2 James Armistead Lafayette was initially recognized for his service but later his deeds were essentially written out of our American Revolutionary history. Today, he deserves our respect and recognition for his bravery, leadership, and in helping us achieve our freedom from the British Empire.
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- http://www.blackpast.org/aah/lafayette-james-armistead-1760-1832
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Armistead_Lafayette