African American British

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African American Britons
Notable people in Britain with African American links or ancestry
Alvin Hall, Slash, Errol Barnett Flag of the United Kingdom Flag of the United States
Total population

Est. 21,000 - 32,000
14.10% of the American Brtitish population,
1.25% of the Black British population
and 0.04% of the total UK population
Regions with significant populations
London, East Anglia, South East England, North West England
Languages
English (British English, American English), African American Vernacular English
Religions
Christian, Pentecostalism, Southern Baptist

African American British or Black American British are a subgroup of the larger American British population, in Britain it may include people of African American heritage or black people from the United States who are or have become residents or citizens of Britain as well as students and temporary workers. The 2001 UK Census used the term Black British which was split further in to Black Caribbean, Black African and Other Black - African American Britons were likely to have chosen the latter, and would have been one of the largest contributers to the group, along with Black Latin American Britons.

Contents

[edit] African American British and the American Revolution

African American immigration to the UK began as early as the 17th century[1] after American slaves failed in their attempt to defend the British Crown in the American Revolution. The Revolution began in the thirteen American colonies in the late 1770s, the British were badly outnumbered.[dubious – discuss] When in desperation they promised freedom to any slave of a rebel who fought the Americans on their behalf.[citation needed] African Americans made up over 20% of the American population at the time[2], as many as 30,000 slaves escaped to British lines. The largest regiment was the Black Pioneers who followed troops under Sir General Henry Clinton[3]. Working as soldiers, labourers, pilots, cooks, and musicians, they were a major part of the unsuccessful British war effort. The overwhelming majority of African Americans fought against the British, but rather if they were fighting for the Crown or American Independence both were mostly doing it in return for promises of freedom from enslavement or indentured servitude[4].

The British-American Commission identified the Black people who had joined the British before the surrender, and issued "certificates of freedom" signed by General Birch or General Musgrave. Those who chose to emigrate were evacuated by ship.[5] The fallout of the Revolution resulted in African American refugees loyal to the British scattering across the Atlantic world, profoundly affecting the development of Nova Scotia, the Bahamas, and the African nation of Sierra Leone[6]. To make sure no one attempted to leave who did not have a certificate of freedom, the name of any Black person on board a vessel, whether slave, indentured servant, or free, was recorded, along with the details of enslavement, escape, and military service, in a document called the Book of Negroes.[7] African Americans who found refuge in the UK were later given the title of Black Loyalist for their service in the British Armed forces and formed the core of the early Black British community.[8]

Today African American Britons also have a strong presence in the US Air Force bases of RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath.

[edit] Population and distribution

African American British are distinct from both the British African-Caribbean community and the African British community. Many descendants of the Black Loyalist are usually referred to simply as Black British due to decades of integration. Like most Americans, Black Americans are not an immigrant population to many foreign countries although African American British have contributed in various ways to British society. According to the United States Census, there are over 155,000 people of American origin living in the UK, 14.1% of which are African American British.[9]

[edit] Notable African American Britons

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://museum.gov.ns.ca/Blackloyalists/who.htm
  2. ^ http://www.blackloyalist.com/canadiandigitalcollection/index.htm
  3. ^ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6948815
  4. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=BMY79c675JsC&pg=PR11&lpg=PR11&dq=Black+loyalist&source=web&ots=8XwTXwpYxr&sig=JdKTnMSXnUvz0VTeC9s5faLglKs&hl=en
  5. ^ http://museum.gov.ns.ca/Blackloyalists/who.htm
  6. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=BMY79c675JsC&pg=PR11&lpg=PR11&dq=Black+loyalist&source=web&ots=8XwTXwpYxr&sig=JdKTnMSXnUvz0VTeC9s5faLglKs&hl=en
  7. ^ http://museum.gov.ns.ca/Blackloyalists/who.htm
  8. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=BMY79c675JsC&pg=PR11&lpg=PR11&dq=Black+loyalist&source=web&ots=8XwTXwpYxr&sig=JdKTnMSXnUvz0VTeC9s5faLglKs&hl=en
  9. ^ http://www.shelteroffshore.com/index.php/living/more/americans_living_abroad/
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