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The Revolutionary World of a Free Black Man

  • Lower Makefield Township Community Center 1550 Oxford Valley Road Yardley, PA, 19067 United States (map)
Jacob Francis book cover

The Lower Makefield Historical Society welcomes historian Larry Kidder for a revealing look at Jacob Francis, a free Black man who fought for American independence as well equal rights for all.

At a time when American colonists struggled against long odds to gain their freedom from Great Britain, Jacob Francis, a free Black man, fought not only for American independence, but also for equal rights for all people in our newly formed nation.

A native of nearby Amwell, N.J., the patriot joined Gen. George Washington’s Continental Army in October 1775 – despite Washington’s efforts to prevent Black men from enlisting – and fought heroically in the Battle of Trenton.

Author and historian Larry Kidder will detail Francis’ long, meaningful life in a special Black History Month presentation hosted by the Lower Makefield Historical Society on Sunday, February 16. This free event, open to the public, will be held from 2-4 p.m., at the Lower Makefield Township Community Center, 1550 Oxford Valley Road, in Yardley, Pa. Seating is first come, first served.

Jacob Francis lived long enough to see an American flag with 25 stars. After the war, he purchased an enslaved woman named Mary, emancipated her, and married her in the home of her former master. They presided over a well-respected Flemington, N.J., family, raising nine children, including Abner Hunt Francis, who spent his adult life working for the cause of abolition and equal rights for all people.

Larry Kidder is the author of The Revolutionary World of a Free Black Man: Jacob Francis 1754-1836. He taught history for 40 years and is past president of historical societies in Ewing and Hopewell Townships in New Jersey. Kidder has been a volunteer historian, interpreter, and draft-horse teamster at the Howell Living History Farm and is also a consultant and battlefield tour guide for the Princeton Battlefield Society. The author of five books focusing on the American Revolution, Kidder serves as an interpreter for full-day bus tours of the “Ten Crucial Days” event. Learn more about Larry Kidder at wlkidderhistorian.com.

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