Prince Estabrook
Encyclopedia
Prince Estabrook was a black slave and Minutemen
Private who fought and was wounded at the Battle of Lexington
, the first battle of the American Revolutionary War
. An undated broadside
from the time identified him as "a Negro Man", spelled his name Easterbrooks, and listed him among the wounded from Lexington
. Born around 1741, he was a slave belonging to the family of Benjamin Estabrook from whom he most likely took his name.
, the first to engage the British at Lexington, and was paid for his participation in a Cambridge detachment from July 17–18, 1775. He enlisted in the Lexington Militia in 1773 and served in the army off and on until 1783.
.
in Ashby, Massachusetts
.
as being the first black combatant of the American Revolution and for representing the thousands of slaves who fought for their country even though their own freedom was not afforded to their people until almost a hundred years later. The inscription on the marker reads:
Minutemen
Minutemen were members of teams of select men from the American colonial partisan militia during the American Revolutionary War. They provided a highly mobile, rapidly deployed force that allowed the colonies to respond immediately to war threats, hence the name.The minutemen were among the first...
Private who fought and was wounded at the Battle of Lexington
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. They were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, Menotomy , and Cambridge, near Boston...
, the first battle of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. An undated broadside
Broadside (printing)
A broadside is a large sheet of paper printed on one side only. Historically, broadsides were posters, announcing events or proclamations, or simply advertisements...
from the time identified him as "a Negro Man", spelled his name Easterbrooks, and listed him among the wounded from Lexington
Lexington, Massachusetts
Lexington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 31,399 at the 2010 census. This town is famous for being the site of the first shot of the American Revolution, in the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775.- History :...
. Born around 1741, he was a slave belonging to the family of Benjamin Estabrook from whom he most likely took his name.
Military service
The state Archives of Massachusetts say that he was from the Lexington Militia commanded by Captain John ParkerJohn Parker (Captain)
John Parker was an American farmer, mechanic, and soldier, who commanded the Lexington militia at the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775. Parker was born in Lexington to Josiah Parker and Anne Stone...
, the first to engage the British at Lexington, and was paid for his participation in a Cambridge detachment from July 17–18, 1775. He enlisted in the Lexington Militia in 1773 and served in the army off and on until 1783.
Emancipation
His master, Benjamin Estabrook, granted him emancipation following his service to the Continental ArmyContinental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
.
Death
He is buried in the graveyard behind the First Parish Church Unitarian-UniversalistUnitarian Universalism
Unitarian Universalism is a religion characterized by support for a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning". Unitarian Universalists do not share a creed; rather, they are unified by their shared search for spiritual growth and by the understanding that an individual's theology is a...
in Ashby, Massachusetts
Ashby, Massachusetts
Ashby is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,120 as of the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water....
.
Memorial
He was honored in 2008 by the city of Lexington with a monument erected in front of Buckman TavernBuckman Tavern
Buckman Tavern is a historic American Revolutionary War site associated with the revolution's very first battle, the Battle of Lexington and Concord...
as being the first black combatant of the American Revolution and for representing the thousands of slaves who fought for their country even though their own freedom was not afforded to their people until almost a hundred years later. The inscription on the marker reads:
In Honor of Prince Estabrook -- Prince Estabrook was a slave who lived in Lexington. At dawn on April, 19, 1775, he was one of the Lexington Minute Men awaiting the arrival of the British Regulars at the Buckman Tavern. In the battle which followed, Prince Estabrook was wounded on Lexington Green. Through circumstances and destiny, he thus became the first black soldier to fight in the American Revolution. -- This monument is dedicated to the memory of Prince Estabrook and the thousands of other courageous black patriots long denied the recognition they deserve. -- Donated by the Alice Hinkle Memorial Fund -- April 21, 2008