Some Britishers online claim that the American war of independence was fought because the British govt wanted to free the slaves but the Founding fathers refused. Did Slavery play a major or minor part in the War of Independence?

by tharkibudda
jschooltiger

This is something about which reasonable people can disagree. Here are some older threads about the role of slavery in the Revolution, which generally center around the New York Times Magazine's reporting in the 1619 project:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/inonct/how_accurate_is_the_1619_project/

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/czl900/comment/ez03spg/

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/rrbtg1/thoughts_on_the_1619_project/

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/pqp4go/what_do_historians_think_of_the_1619_project/

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/inuuoz/the_1619_project_made_by_the_nyt_is_intended_to/

I've also written about the run-up to the rebellion in Massachusetts (where slavery was not a major concern) before, here.