Jacob Francis: A Free Man of Color’s Fight for Freedom

After the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775, Americans laid siege to Boston. One of the soldiers, and a member of a Massachusetts regiment, was Jacob Francis, a free Black man. Born near Trenton in Amwell Township in 1754, he was indentured as a boy until age 21. He passed through several owners, the last being a Salem, Massachusetts merchant. Jacob eventually gained his freedom in January 1775. After he gained his freedom, Jacob enlisted in the Continental Army in October, despite General Washington and the Continental Congress’s orders not to enlist men of color. After the Boston siege, Jacob’s regiment fought to stop British General William Howe from capturing New York City. That campaign was unsuccessful for George Washington. He took his remaining troops and crossed the Delaware River at Trenton on December 2, 1776, preventing the British from following him. Jacob’s regiment joined Washington in Bucks County on December 21.

Jacob was present during the famous night crossing of the Delaware River on December 25. After the Battle of Trenton, Jacob left the Continental Army and returned to his childhood home near Flemington. There, he learned that his mother was still alive. He then discovered that his last name was “Francis.” Jacob served actively in the Hunterdon County militia for the rest of the war. He later married and raised a family, and made it a priority that his children received an education. His youngest son, Abner, at 20 years old, began working with abolitionists in the Trenton area and later worked with Frederick Douglass. Jacob Francis and his family are perfect examples of the fact that the fight for freedom and equality in the Trenton and Flemington areas involved everyone.