Jacob Francis was a free Black man born in Amwell Township and died in Flemington, New Jersey. Bound out as an indentured servant from childhood until age 21, he lived in New Jersey, New York, St. John in the West Indies, and Salem, Massachusetts. After completing his indenture, he enlisted in the Continental Army in October 1775, at a time when General Washington was trying to prevent Black men from enlisting. He served through the siege of Boston, the New York Campaign, and the Battle of Trenton before his enlistment expired on January 1, 1777. After his Continental service, he served in the Third Hunterdon County Regiment of the New Jersey militia for the remainder of the war, surviving great hardships and dangers while performing in a commendable fashion. He later fulfilled his vision of becoming a successful farmer and raising a family. In 1789 he married an enslaved woman named Mary, purchased her and set her free, and together they raised nine children. Jacob and Mary became well-respected members of the Flemington Baptist Church and lived for several decades in Flemington. Their youngest son, Abner Hunt Francis, became well educated and spent his adult life working for abolition and equal rights for all people, inspired by his father’s service and by the principles of ’76. During Jacob Francis’s lifetime, the fight for independence in the American Revolution succeeded, but the struggle to guarantee equal rights for all people continued.