Black Redcoats: How Escaped Enslaved Men Shaped Caribbean History and the War of 1812

In this episode of Dis A Fi Mi History Podcast, Wendy Aris interviews Matthew Taylor about his book Black Redcoats, exploring a pivotal yet often overlooked chapter in Caribbean history and colonialism. They discuss how formerly enslaved men who joined the British Colonial Marines during the War of 1812 transformed military service into pathways to freedom, land ownership, and community building. This conversation highlights vital themes in family genealogy and heritage, focusing on Black resistance, mobility, and agency across regions like Trinidad, Nova Scotia, and the Chesapeake. Listeners will learn about the formation, roles, and lasting legacy of the Colonial Marines, and the experiences of women and families during this era. These narratives shed important light on concepts of freedom, citizenship, and belonging during the age of empire, offering valuable insights for anyone interested in Caribbean history, colonialism, and family history.   BIO: Matthew Taylor is a historian and author specializing in Atlantic World history, slavery, and Black military resistance in the nineteenth century. He is the author of Black Redcoats: The Corps of Colonial Marines, 1814–1816, a groundbreaking study that examines the lives of formerly enslaved Africans who joined the British military during the War of 1812 and later established free Black communities across the Caribbean, Central America, and the Atlantic world. Taylor’s research foregrounds Black agency, freedom-seeking, and military service as crucial elements in understanding the broader histories of emancipation, migration, and empire. His work draws on extensive archival research across Britain, the Caribbean, and the Americas, challenging traditional narratives that marginalize the role of enslaved and formerly enslaved people in shaping their own liberation. Through his scholarship, Matthew Taylor contributes to ongoing conversations about African diasporic resistance, colonial warfare, and the global legacies of slavery. BOOK LINK: https://www.amazon.ca/Black-Redcoats-Colonial-Marines-1814-1816/dp/1399034014  https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/black-redcoats-the-corps-of-colonial-marines-1814-1816/9781399034012.html  Caribbean Podcasts https://blog.feedspot.com/caribbean_podcasts/   History Podcasts For Historians https://blog.feedspot.com/history_podcasts_for_historians/  Follow: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/berkshirehalleppingpress/  Morning Journal Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CXMTL3NV  Genealogy Workbook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NRHG3M3  Prayer Journal: https://a.co/d/bfSdIl0  Devotional Journal: https://a.co/d/8K3C8Hk  Support The Podcast https://ko-fi.com/disafimihistory/tip  Great Research Resource https://www.ancestorsofparadise.com/  Clothes https://effystyle.goaffpro.com/  Reservations for Barbados https://diaspora-discoveries.com/reservations  Opus Clip: https://www.opus.pro/?via=74ffcf  Cultural Roots: https://www.skool.com/cultural-roots-reconnection-8301/about?ref=62a97470644b496897d06254e6796add  Theme Music "Africa" is modern ethnic track with fresh chords, African vocal, orchestra. License Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed) #Matthew Taylor historian #Black Redcoats book #Corps of Colonial Marines #Black soldiers in the British Empire #War of 1812 Black history ##Enslaved people and military resistance #African diaspora military history #Caribbean migration after slavery #Black Loyalists and freedom seekers #British West Indies emancipation history #Caribbean History Podcast #African Diaspora Studies  #Slavery and Resistance #Atlantic World History #Dis A Fi Mi History Podcast