Salem Poor was a slave from Andover, Massachusetts. Salem Poor is a perfect example of race relations during the Revolutionary War period as Poor was described as a war hero, but did not receive the treatment he deserved. Historians have argued that Poor is a forgotten hero due to his race. The question arises as to whether he would have been a forgotten hero if he had been a white man, as many political figures built their reputations during the war. Salem Poor challenged the stereotype of African Americans having small roles in the military, but was not rewarded for his efforts. Although his colleagues praised Poor's bravery in the battle, not much came of it in terms of race relations. Poor fought for freedom but was never able to enjoy that freedom after the war as he received almost no economic benefit from fighting in the war, and ultimately died a poor and forgotten hero of the Revolutionary War. Salem Poor was an enslaved African-American who purchased freedom from his owner to fight in the Revolutionary War. There is no information as to why Povero decided to purchase his freedom as the poor man was treated as a “neighbor to the family”. Salem Poor bought his freedom for £27, which was a large sum of money at the time. Poor married shortly thereafter in 1771 and had a son born in late 1774. In 1775 Salem Poor decided to leave his family to fight in the American Revolution. Andover records show that as early as 1765 Andover residents wanted to break away from oppressive British rule because of taxes levied against those living in Andover. There are also records that Andover settlers passed a resolution prohibiting the sale of tea imported from the United Kingdom. Clearly there was a segment of the population in Andover that was clamoring for… middle of paper… them. African Americans like Salem Poor had to choose whether to rebel against the British or remain loyal to the crown. Colonists were reluctant to allow slaves to join the army because they were afraid of slave rebellions. It was not until 1775 that Washington formally allowed slaves to join the army. Salem Poor was able to join the army because he purchased his freedom from his owner. Poor's motivations for joining the army are not well known, except that Andover was overall an anti-British settlement. The poor man falls into the paradox of fighting for a freedom he will never be able to enjoy. African Americans like Salem Poor must have felt that the colonists were acting hypercritically when fighting against an oppressive group that denied them rights while African Americans were experiencing the same oppressive conditions.