The Soldier Who Fought for a Country That Had Enslaved Him

Peter Salem was born into slavery in Framingham, Massachusetts, around 1750. He was owned by Jeremiah Belknap and then sold again. His life was not his own. Then the colonies decided to revolt.

BUNKER HILL

Peter was freed specifically so he could fight. On June 17, 1775, he stood on Breed's Hill as British troops advanced. Major John Pitcairn, who had ordered the first shots at Lexington, reached the parapet and called for surrender. Peter Salem raised his musket and shot him dead.

THE PAINTING

The moment was witnessed by many soldiers and later immortalized by John Trumbull's famous battle painting, where Peter Salem appears near the center. He went on to fight at Saratoga and Stony Point through years of war.

AFTERWARD

The nation he helped build did not grant him citizenship, land, or equal rights. Peter Salem later wove cane baskets for a living in Leicester, Massachusetts, and died in 1816, largely forgotten. His portrait remained in a place of honor while his name was barely mentioned.