African Americans and American Indians in the Revolutionary War

<p> At the time of the Revolutionary War, a fifth of the Colonial population was African American. By 1779, 15 percent of the Continental Army were former slaves, while the Navy recruited both free men and slaves. More than 5000 black Americans fought for independence in an integrated military--it would be the last until the Korean War.</p><p> The majority of Indian tribes sided with the British yet some Native Americans rallied to the American cause and suffered heavy losses.