Private Jacob Speen*

Private Jacob Speen (1754-unknown), of Indigenous and possibly African heritage, was 21 years old when he enlisted in the Massachusetts Militia and fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775. He also served in the Continental Army in 1780 and 1782. Jacob Speen is memorialized on a tablet at the Indian Burial Ground on Pond Street in Natick. Speen’s ancestors were a founding family of Natick’s Praying Town in 1651, and they lived on this land for many generations before 1651. Speen is listed in military records as “Negro.” Speen Street, a major artery in Natick, is named for Jacob Speen, and his family.

Note: More often than not, service, vital, and/or other historical records were created and kept by men of English and European backgrounds. They employed a wide range of descriptive terms, such as "mulatto," negro," and "dark complexion." These terms cannot fully capture any soldier's identity, but they do offer clues. In some cases, the surname of a soldier of color connects him to a Natick family that is well documented. Often, these soldiers are Indigenous men. The biographies in this project make it possible to say more not only about a soldier's identity or background, but also about the life he led in Natick and beyond.