Additional information
by William O. Jr. Ritchie (Author)
With the slave legacy of Revolutionary War patriots, author Bill Ritchie confronts the duality of American heroism and historical injustice. Through the lens of seventeen Revolutionary War patriots from the Commonwealth of Virginia, all of whom were confirmed slaveholders, this powerful narrative highlights the untold contributions of the enslaved men, women, and children whose labor sustained the farms, fed the troops, and underpinned the very fight for liberty.
Drawing on colonial census records, tax rolls, and the scholarship of historians, Ritchie paints a vivid portrait of a nation built not only by celebrated patriots but also by the unnamed and unfree. With unflinching honesty and reverence, he calls for a collective reckoning and a formal proclamation to honor those whose sacrifices were never recorded yet remain essential to the founding of the republic.
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, Bill urges readers to expand the historical narrative, lifting the memory of the enslaved from the shadows and placing them alongside the patriots they sustained. This is not just a book. It's a call to truth, acknowledgment, and reconciliation.
