Episode Details

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 

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