Written by Justun Dorsey, NVMM Educator
In 1942, the United States Marine Corps made a groundbreaking decision to open its doors to qualified cisgender Black men. While some may associate this pivotal moment with the Montford Point Marines, few are aware that Black individuals enlisted in the Marine Corps more than 160 years earlier. Enter Jonathan Martin, known also as Keto, whose remarkable story traces back to April 1776, when he became the first recorded Black Marine in U.S. history.
At the time, Martin was an enslaved man on a Delaware plantation rented by William Marshall from the prominent statesman and signer of the U.S. Constitution, John Dickinson. Martin, a skilled blacksmith who came with the land, was likely among a group of “runaway slaves” reported in Philadelphia while performing a supply pickup in October 1775.
By April 1776, Martin became the first Black Marine when he enlisted in the Continental Marines under the recruitment of officer Miles Pennington. His escape was more than just a chance at military service – it was an escape from the looming threat of recapture. He was assigned to the brig Reprisal and served in unknown capacities aboard the ship, likely performing various duties. Tragically, the Reprisal was lost off the coast of Newfoundland on October 1, 1777, with the ship’s cook being the sole survivor. In total, 128 individuals lost their lives, including Martin. His story, though short, is a testament to the courage and resilience that defined the early Black military experience in America.
Up until the Continental Marine Corps disbanded in 1783, at least 12 other Black men had enlisted. However, when the Marine Corps was re-established in 1798, all people of color were prohibited from legally joining. This discrimination was upheld until 1942, paving the way for the Montford Point Marines and those who came after them.
Today, as we remember Jonathan Martin’s pioneering legacy, we honor the unwavering determination of those who fought for a place in a military that, for so long, excluded them, ultimately shaping the Marine Corps into the diverse institution it is today.
Sources:
Courtesy of C*Vets Cumberland Veterans Legal Assistance Clinic Cumberland Veterans Legal Assistance Clinic
“African Americans in the United States Marine Corps Timeline.” https://www.usmcmuseum.com/uploads/6/0/3/6/60364049/africanamericanmarinesresources.pdf
Catanzariti, John ed. “The Papers of Robert Morris, 1775–1784”. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1984. “Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789”. https://archive.org/details/journalscontinent19unit/page/n9/mode/2up
Marks, Carol ed. A History of African Americans of Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The Christian Council of Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore and the University of Delaware Black American Studies Department. Newark, DE: University of Delaware Press, 1996.
“Plantation Slave Records.” Historical Archives of Delaware: volume IX (1754-1775), Department of Historical Records. Newark: University of Delaware.
“Papers of John Dickinson.” Department of Historical Records. Newark: University of Delaware.
“The Reprisal (1776-1777)”. History Division Ship Records: 1776-1815. United States Naval Academy Archives. Annapolis, MD.
“Resolution Establishing the Continental Marines.” Journal of the Continental Congress, (10 November 1775). United States Marine Corps History Division.
Shaw, Henry I., Jr., and Ralph W. Donnelly. “Blacks in the Marine Corps.” Washington, DC: History and Museums Division, Headquarters USMC. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012.
Simmons, Edwin Howard. The United States Marines: A History, 4th Edition. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 2003.
“The American Revolution, 1763-1766 Revolutionary War: The Home Front”. https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states-history-primary-source-timeline/american-revolution-1763-1783/revolutionary-war-home-front/
“The Continental Marines: Origin of Black Marines in America.” https://montfordpointmarinesamerica.org/884-2
