Divided Loyalty (Paperback)
Divided Loyalty (Paperback)
Uneven Paths to Freedom in South Carolina during the Revolutionary War. Rather than presenting the Revolutionary War as a straightforward story of American independence, Divided Loyalty examines the uneven paths to freedom that emerged after the war and the experiences of people of color whose lives and choices shaped the struggle for independence
Summary
Divided Loyalty reveals a Revolutionary War history too often left untold. Joseph McGill Jr. and Herb Frazier trace the experiences of Black patriots, Black loyalists, enslaved people seeking freedom, and Indigenous people navigating a conflict that divided South Carolina and reshaped a nation.
Drawing on archival research, historic battlefields, descendants’ stories, and McGill’s travels with the Slave Dwelling Project, the authors show that the Revolution’s promise of liberty did not reach everyone equally. Some found freedom. Others remained enslaved or were re-enslaved. Native nations faced choices of their own as the Catawba, Cherokee, and others weighed alliances, survival, and the future of their lands.
Centered on the people conventional Revolutionary histories have too often overlooked, Divided Loyalty offers a fuller and more complicated story of how American independence was won—and who was still waiting for freedom when the fighting ended.
Other Information
- Published: November 1, 2026
- Published by: Evening Post Books
- Language: English