Fridge / The Patriot (2000)

• The subplot of the black soldier had a major problem. Any slave who served in the Continental Army for a year would be freed. Except Occam never served in the Continental Army; he served in the South Carolina militia.
  • The commanding officer of the militia we follow throughout the movie was given a commission as a colonel in the Continental Army, ergo his force would be considered part of the Continental Army.
    • At one point, Col. Martin explicitly states "We are militia. This is not regular army". Thus Occam is indeed a member of the militia and not the Continental Army. That being said, as the militia is tasked with missions by a colonel in the regular army it is reasonable to believe that service in the militia would fulfill Gen. Washington's directive of freedom and pay for slaves who serve.
    • If you pause to actually read the notice, it clearly states that slaves who give minimum one year service in the Continental Army or allied militia will be granted freedom.