159:
101:
247:, both write that Ranger likely sold the land to speculators rather than move his family westward, as did most land grantees. Ranger also continued to draw a salary. State records show that he was paid 2.50 pounds for a month's work in 1786. Ranger earned enough to purchase the freedom of his wife. He had other enslaved family members he was unable to help.
310:
estimated that there were at most 1,000 free Black men in
Virginia of fighting age and that 500 of them served in sea or land combat roles. The 150 he named are about evenly divided between navy and army/militia, but he suspected that "perhaps the largest number" served at
224:, among the small number of vessels that had not been destroyed in the war. Ranger worked on both ships, remaining in the navy until its dissolution in 1787. His eleven years of service are the longest on record of any Black seaman in the Virginia Navy.
255:
As Ranger and the other veterans of the revolution aged, successive United States
Congresses awarded them pensions. They passed laws disbursing money in 1818, 1820, and 1832, requiring a court deposition to prove war service. Ranger appeared at an
85:. They mustered about 40 water vessels, mostly re-outfitted commercial craft. Though White Virginian politicians were concerned about supplying Black soldiers with weapons, they actively recruited experienced Black crew members for their Navy.
263:
The details of Ranger's death are unknown. According to
Purcell, Ranger's service "exemplifies the importance of African Americans to American military forces, even in states such as Virginia with extremely restrictive slave systems".
143:
wrote that Ranger and the other Black seamen shared meals with, socialized with, and were at least sometimes given the same rations as the White crew. During one recorded month on the
787:
227:
During his post-war service, the
Virginia government began rewarding soldiers and sailors who fought in the war with land. It granted plots in two westerly Virginia territories:
260:
court in 1832 for his deposition, receiving thereafter 96 dollars per year. He was one of thirteen Black
Virginian veterans to receive a federal pension that year.
772:
777:
278:
70:, Ranger likely had seafaring experience and familiarity with navigating Virginia's coastal rivers, as did many free and enslaved Black workers in the area.
158:
147:, Ranger received the same share of "ample supply of pork, flour and spirits" as the rest. At some point during his four years' service on the
204:, Ranger and the others were released. Ranger ended the war having served on four vessels, the highest number of any Black sailor in the war.
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The other states and the United States government similarly rewarded veterans with land grants. Virginia gave out more land than the others.
273:
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for maneuverability in the river and room for a crew of about fifty. Many ships in the
Virginia Navy had mixed-race crews, and the
44:
at the start of the war and served until 1787 on four vessels, making him the longest-serving Black
Virginian sailor of that era.
257:
61:
243:, respectively. Ranger was granted 100 acres, the amount commonly given to privates and seamen. Two historians, Jackson and
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139:), on which he served with four other Black crew mates out of about one hundred total. Historian
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Despite their concern, many Black
Virginians fought in the revolutionary land forces. Historian
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for about six months, until he and the rest of the crew were captured by the
British. After
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Virginia's leaders continued to be concerned about the possibility of
British attacks. The
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on the James River along with most of the Virginia Navy vessels. Ranger then served on the
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89:
29:
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The Virginia Navy in the Revolution: Hampton's Commodore James Barron and his Fleet
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73:
In the lead-up to the Revolutionary War, the Colony of Virginia began organizing a
184:. He served aboard it for one year. In 1781, Ranger survived the crippling of the
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Hampton: Revolutionary War Port Town, Home of the Virginia Navy and War Heroes
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Southern Campaigns Revolutionary War Pension Statements & Rosters
151:, it was sunk. In 1780, it was raised again and converted to a
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694:. The Hampton Association for the Arts and Humanities (HAAH). 1975.
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702:(2000). "Ranger, Joseph (1760?–?), revolutionary war seaman". In
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641:"Virginia Negro Soldiers and Seamen in the American Revolution"
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During sworn testimony in 1832, Ranger put his age at about 72.
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running aground, was discovered by the British and abandoned.
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granted the state permission to retain two navy ships, the
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Map of major Revolutionary War battles in the Virginia area
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Ranger enlisted in early 1776 and served at the rank of
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had one of the highest ratios of Black crew members.
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Ranger transferred again after the conversion of the
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414:. Transcribed by C. Leon Harris. January 27, 2021
131:After three months, Ranger was transferred to the
788:People of Virginia in the American Revolution
748:. Charleston, South Carolina: History Press.
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279:African Americans in the American Revolution
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52:Joseph Ranger was born around 1760 in
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274:Virginia in the American Revolution
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108:Ranger was assigned first to the
332:. The plan, delayed due to the
28:1760–unknown) was a free Black
324:, the navy planned to use the
56:. By 1776, he was living as a
32:who served as a sailor on the
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214:Congress of the Confederation
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646:The Journal of Negro History
710:American National Biography
67:American National Biography
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706:; Carnes, Mark C. (eds.).
233:Virginia Military District
38:American Revolutionary War
328:to attack a ship holding
48:Early life and enlistment
449:, pp. 247–248, 257.
235:, parts of present-day
120:area; it had a shallow
744:Tormey, James (2016).
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320:In a plot approved by
200:surrendered after the
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308:Luther Porter Jackson
258:Elizabeth City County
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141:Luther Porter Jackson
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62:Northumberland County
40:. He enlisted in the
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116:built to patrol the
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190:action at Osborne's
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42:Virginia State Navy
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700:Purcell, Sarah J.
202:Siege of Yorktown
165:Action at Osburns
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733:. Retrieved
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629:Bibliography
619:Jackson 1942
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607:Jackson 1942
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595:Jackson 1942
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568:Jackson 1942
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36:side in the
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544:Tormey 2016
532:Tormey 2016
493:Tormey 2016
118:James River
767:Categories
353:References
251:Later life
168:, 1781 map
135:(built in
114:row galley
83:Royal Navy
75:state navy
58:free Black
682:150137235
666:0022-2992
466:HAAH 1975
186:Jefferson
178:Jefferson
153:fire ship
638:(1942).
428:cite web
268:See also
237:Kentucky
231:and the
220:and the
54:Virginia
735:May 26,
674:2715325
418:May 26,
222:Liberty
218:Patriot
194:Patriot
60:man in
34:patriot
752:
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334:Dragon
326:Dragon
174:Dragon
149:Dragon
145:Dragon
133:Dragon
30:seaman
678:S2CID
670:JSTOR
408:(PDF)
285:Notes
122:draft
750:ISBN
737:2022
724:ISBN
662:ISSN
434:link
420:2022
311:sea.
241:Ohio
239:and
182:brig
180:, a
126:Hero
112:, a
110:Hero
716:doi
654:doi
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
