Women of Heritage & Freedom
Honoring the African American women whose courage, leadership, and service helped sustain the fight for liberty during the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.
Women of Heritage & Freedom
The story of America's fight for freedom cannot be told without the women who stood beside it. Though many never carried a musket or wore a military uniform, African American women served as nurses, scouts, spies, educators, laborers, abolitionists, and protectors of their families and communities. Their courage, resilience, and sacrifice helped sustain the struggle for liberty, and their stories deserve to be preserved alongside those of the soldiers they supported.
Revolutionary War · 1775–1783
As the colonies fought for independence, African American women — free and enslaved — sustained the struggle in ways history too often overlooked. They nursed the wounded, carried messages, provisioned troops, and gave voice through the written word to the ideals of liberty for all.
Revolutionary War · 1775–1783
Patriot Poet
One of America's first published African American poets, Phillis Wheatley used her writing to encourage the Patriot cause and demonstrate the intellect and humanity of African Americans during the Revolutionary era. Her work inspired many who believed liberty should extend to all people.
Revolutionary War · 1775–1783
Patriot Supporter
Remembered in Georgia history for helping Colonel Stephen Heard escape British captivity, Mammy Kate represents the courage and determination of enslaved Black women who risked everything in pursuit of freedom.
Revolutionary War · 1775–1783
Military Support
Thousands of African American women accompanied Patriot and British armies, serving as cooks, laundresses, nurses, seamstresses, and laborers. Their work kept military camps functioning despite rarely receiving recognition in historical records.
Revolutionary War · 1775–1783
Loyalist Refugees
Many enslaved women sought freedom by joining the British during the Revolutionary War. Following the conflict, many rebuilt their lives in Nova Scotia, England, and Sierra Leone while preserving their families, communities, and traditions.
Civil War · 1861–1865
During the Civil War, African American women served as nurses, scouts, spies, teachers, and laborers, and led thousands to freedom. Their courage on battlefields, in contraband camps, and along the roads of the Underground Railroad helped bring an end to slavery.
Civil War · 1861–1865
Scout • Spy • Nurse
Harriet Tubman served the Union Army as a scout, spy, nurse, and military guide. During the Combahee Ferry Raid, she helped liberate more than 700 enslaved people, making her one of the most significant military figures of the Civil War.
Civil War · 1861–1865
Teacher • Nurse
Susie King Taylor educated formerly enslaved soldiers, served as a nurse, and became the first African American Army nurse to publish her memoirs, preserving one of the most valuable firsthand accounts of the Civil War.
Civil War · 1861–1865
Recruiter • Abolitionist
Sojourner Truth recruited African American men for military service, advocated for equal treatment of Black soldiers, and worked tirelessly to support Union camps and formerly enslaved refugees.
Civil War · 1861–1865
Educator
Charlotte Forten Grimké taught formerly enslaved families in Union-occupied territory and supported educational efforts that strengthened African American communities during and after the Civil War.
Civil War · 1861–1865
Community Support
Thousands of African American women supported the United States Colored Troops by nursing the wounded, sewing uniforms, preparing meals, raising funds, teaching literacy, gathering supplies, and caring for soldiers' families. Although their names were seldom recorded, their contributions were essential to the success of the USCT.
"Freedom was carried by many hands — and among the strongest were theirs."
Descendants of Heritage and Freedom™ · Legacy Preservation Archive
Honor Her Story
This archive grows over time. If you know of an African American woman whose courage and service belongs among these pages, we invite you to help us preserve her story.
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