Peter Francisco is an oft-forgotten hero of the American Revolution. A dark-skinned, foreign orphan and former servant, he distinguished himself nationally as a soldier of legendary renown. However, Francisco remains largely absent from the popular modern-day memory of the Revolution. This analysis determines how and why this occurred as well as how and why Francisco remains remembered today by a small minority of American supporters. Methodologically, the analysis examines Franciscou27s life through a cultural studies lens. It challenges previous analyses of Franciscou27s life based on romance and myth not akin to historical reality. And although this interpretation gives credence to Franciscou27s romantic legend, it primarily addresses how Francisco, as a historical agent, tested the various elitist limits of early American republicanism. Furthermore, it contends that Franciscou27s greatest historical legacy may ultimately have less to do with what he did on the battlefield and more with how he set a precedent for universal inclusion and access to the u22American dreamu22 as it is understood today.
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