Peter Salem
Peter Salem was an African American who was born into slavery in 1750 in Framingham, Massachusetts. His journey towards freedom began when his enslaver, Lawson Buckminster, emancipated him, allowing Salem to enlist in the Framingham Minute Men and participate in the American Revolutionary War. He fought valiantly in significant battles such as Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill—where he reportedly fired the shot that killed British Major John Pitcairn—and Saratoga, among others. Despite his distinguished service, Salem was not recognized with a pension after the war and returned to civilian life as a weaver, living modestly.
Salem's contributions went largely unrecognized during his lifetime, but posthumous honors began to surface, including a commemorative stone placed on his grave by the townspeople of Framingham and an annual Peter Salem Day established in 1882. His legacy was further solidified in 1968 with the issuance of a postage stamp featuring his likeness as depicted in an 18th-century painting. Salem's life highlights the complex history of African Americans in the Revolutionary War and the ongoing recognition of their contributions to American independence.
Peter Salem
American soldier and patriot
- Born: (October 1?) 1750
- Birthplace: Framingham, Massachusetts
- Died: August 16, 1816
- Place of death: Framingham, Massachusetts
Education: unknown
Significance: Peter Salem is among the most famous of the five thousand to seven thousand African American soldiers who fought against the British during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). He is best known for being credited with killing British Major John Pitcairn at the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775. He also participated in many of the major battles of the war during his seven-year enlistment.
Background
Peter Salem was born into slavery in 1750 in Framingham, Massachusetts; one source gives his birthdate as October 1. His first enslaver was Jeremiah Belknap, who sold him to Lawson Buckminster in early 1775. When Buckminster joined the Continental Army being formed to fight the British, he emancipated Salem. This permitted Salem to enlist in the Framingham Minute Men, which Buckminster commanded. At the time, it was against the law in Massachusetts for enslaved persons to join the militia, so Buckminster freed him for that reason alone.
Military Service
Peter Salem would serve with distinction at many major battles of the American Revolution. On April 19, 1775, he took part in the Battles of Lexington and Concord, during which British regulars arrived in Lexington to destroy weapons and ammunition, only to be repelled by minute men, who also attacked the British at Concord. The British approach to war was to stand in formation. The troops in front fired at the enemy, then as they crouched and reloaded, troops behind them took their turn to fire. American minutemen fired from any position that allowed them cover—behind walls and trees, for example. Eventually, reinforcements for the British soldiers arrived and marched in unison toward Boston, Massachusetts.
Salem then took part in the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775. This battle was actually fought on nearby Breed’s Hill, on which the Americans had fortified their positions. Salem was one of several African Americans who helped in that effort. During the battle, three waves of British forces attacked the American positions to be mowed down again and again before finally overtaking the fortifications.
It was in a deadly firefight inside the fortifications that Salem made his mark on history. American eyewitnesses claimed that Salem fired the fatal shot that killed Major John Pitcairn, a British officer particularly hated by the American forces, while he was standing atop a redoubt. British forces, however, claimed that Pitcairn was killed by numerous shots. Although the British won the battle, primarily because the Americans had to flee after running out of powder and shot, Pitcairn’s death sparked American morale for the revolution. He was, at the time, the highest-ranking British officer to be killed in the war. After the Battle of Bunker Hill, General George Washington took command of the Continental Army. He banned African Americans from serving in the army, although exceptions were made for those who had enlisted early in the war.
Salem reenlisted on January 1, 1776, with the 4th Continental Regiment for a one-year term. He served under General Nathaniel Greene and took part in the Battles of Harlem Heights and Trenton. A year later, he reenlisted for another three years. He participated in the Battles of Saratoga in September and October 1777. The latter proved to be an important victory when the British troops surrendered to the Americans. Historians view this as a turning point in the war. Salem also fought in the battles of Monmouth and Stony Point.
Salem was honorably discharged from the 6th Regiment on December 31, 1779. He again enlisted to fight and served for several weeks in early 1780. During the war, he fought alongside several other notable African American minute men, including Titus Coburn, Salem Poor, and Seymour Burr.
Civilian Life
The US Congress did not enact a pension law for veterans of the Revolution during Salem’s lifetime, so he never received any monetary benefits for his heroic efforts. After returning to civilian life, he settled in Salem, Massachusetts. He subsequently built a cabin in Leicester, where he earned his living as a weaver. He also repaired furniture and gardened. He died at age 66 on August 16, 1816, while living in a poor house in Framingham. He was buried in a pauper’s grave at the Old Burying Ground in Framingham, Massachusetts.
Impact
Although Salem was not well known during his lifetime, the first recognition of his valor occurred a few years after he was discharged for the final time. Although he was not named, artist John Trumbull included an African American believed to be Salem in his 1786 painting The Battle of Bunker’s Hill. Salem died in 1816. Some years later, the townspeople of Framingham placed a stone on his unmarked grave in the Old Burying Grounds in their community. In 1882 the town established an annual Peter Salem Day. In 1909 the Daughters of the American Revolution placed a stone honoring Salem on the grounds where his cabin once stood in Leicester, making it a historical monument. In 1968 a postage stamp honoring him was issued. It depicts him as he appears in Trumbull’s famous painting.
Personal Life
Salem married Katy Benson in September 1783. By the time of the 1790 census, Salem’s marriage to his wife appears to have been dissolved.
Bibliography
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Battle of Bunker Hill.” Britannica, 10 June 2021, www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Bunker-Hill. Accessed 12 Jan. 2022.
“Peter Salem.” American Battlefield Trust, www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/peter-salem. Accessed 11 Jan. 2022.
“Peter Salem.” Encyclopedia.com, www.encyclopedia.com/african-american-focus/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/salem-peter. Accessed 11 Jan. 2022.
“Peter Salem and the Battle of Bunker Hill.” National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian, 17 June 2016, nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/peter-salem-and-battle-bunker-hill. Accessed 11 Jan. 2022.
Quintal, George. “Peter Salem (Salem Middlesex).” National Park Service, US Department of the Interior, 12 Aug. 2021, www.nps.gov/people/peter-salem.htm. Accessed 11 Jan. 2022.