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For those interested, I wanted to provide a link to an article of mine, which was just published in the Journal of the American Revolution, about Lemuel Haynes (1753-1833, pictured above), a Continental Army soldier who became the first Black minister ordained by a mainstream Protestant denomination. In the context of the Revolution, he is best known for his 1776 essay that argued for abolishing slavery—”Liberty Further Extended: Or Free Thoughts on the Illegality of Slave-keeping”—and which served as a source of inspiration to not only abolitionists but women’s rights advocates as well. Among the honors accorded Haynes was an honorary Master of Arts degree from Middlebury College at its second commencement in 1804, making him the first African American to receive an honorary degree. In 1975, the last home in which he lived—in South Granville, NY—was designated a National Historic Landmark.

You can read more here.