[Ads-l] OT: Re: "slave"

[Amy West]

On 9/1/16 12:00 AM, ADS-L automatic digest system wrote:
> I am convinced of the "stronger alternative theory" presented in the Snopes article:  "the word "hirelings" in The Star-Spangled Banner refers literally to mercenaries and "slaves" refers literally to the enslaved, persons (predominantly black, of course)  in involuntary servitude.  That is, "hirelings" refers to hired British soldiers (such as Hessians) and "slaves" refers to black slaves offered freedom by the British if they were to escape from their owners and join the British forces.

By referencing both Hessians and freed slaves, we're both assuming that 
the make-up of the British forces <insert image of Redcoats in glam rock 
make-up here> during the War of 1812 is the same as it was during the 
Am. Rev. War. Do we know know that that is indeed the case? I was 
ignorant that the British made the same offer of freedom during the War 
of 1812.

---Amy West

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