Colonial Marines in the War of 1812

 

Who were the Colonial Marines in the War of 1812? Thousands of enslaved African Americans fled to join the British forces and, in turn, gained their freedom. Many joined Britain's Corps of Colonial Marines. They participated in the Chesapeake Campaign during the War of 1812, 

  When the British arrived in the Chesapeake Bay in 1813, many slaves gained their freedom by rowing or swimming out to British boats. The British targeted Chesapeake Bay, using the waterways with access to Baltimore and Washington. They planned to use slaves' desire for freedom to employ their knowledge of the region's waterways and geography and to weaken the American economy. In total, about 4,000 freedom-seeking African American men, women, and children gained their freedom by joining the British. Many of these newly freed slaves were given shelter on the British base at Tangier Island. About 200 of these men were trained, issued arms and uniforms, and fought with British troops as a Colonial Corps of Marines. They participated in many raids on the Chesapeake, which included the Battles of Bladensburg, North Point, and Fort McHenry, as well as the burning of Washington.  Members of the Corps assisted the British in planning these actions, often having firsthand knowledge of the waterways, roads, and paths. Meanwhile, many of the wives, children, and other relatives of the Colonial Marines remained in British protection on Tangier Island until the end of the war.

   After the war, Great Britain resettled the former enslaved people mostly in the Canadian Maritime Provinces or in Trinidad. One community in Nova Scotia settled in what they called Africville. Descendants in Trinidad call themselves 'Merikans.'