Prince Estabrook was a Black American patriot whose life embodies the contradictions of the American Revolution. Enslaved in Lexington, Massachusetts, Estabrook was among the militiamen who faced British regulars on April 19, 1775, at the Battle of Lexington Green. When the first shots of the Revolution were fired, he stood in the front ranks and was wounded in the arm, becoming one of the earliest casualties of the war.
Despite being enslaved, Estabrook continued to serve in the Continental Army, participating in key campaigns including Bunker Hill and the Saratoga campaign. His military service eventually led to his freedom, illustrating how wartime necessity sometimes opened pathways to emancipation for Black Americans.
Estabrook lived the rest of his life as a free man in Lexington, where he died in 1810. Today, he is buried in the Old Burying Ground, a lasting reminder that Black Americans were present at the nation’s founding struggle, fighting for liberty before it was fully theirs.
The Joy Trip Project celebrates the enduring legacy of American History. The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series elevates the untold stories of Black American historical figures, events and cultural contributions.
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