African-Americans in the United States Navy War of 1812

Abstract

Researching the role of African-Americans during the War of 1812 is an exercise in frustration. It seems to be generally accepted that blacks constituted between 15 and 20% of the enlisted men in the United States Navy during the war, but unearthing specifics is not easy. A seafaring life was one of the few occupations where a black man in America could achieve even a semblance of equality; hence it may be appropriate that, at least for official recordkeeping purposes, blacks in the navy were seldom distinguished from whites. But that same official impartiality renders it frustratingly impossible to collate accurate statistics or to compile a comprehensive chronicle that can do the topic justice.