Final answer:
George Washington banned the enlistment of enslaved African Americans at the beginning of the Revolution due to fears of slave revolts and opposition from Northerners and Southerners.
Step-by-step explanation:
The enlistment of enslaved African Americans was banned by George Washington at the beginning of the Revolution due to multiple reasons. One reason was the fear of armed slave revolts, which posed a greater threat to white American society than the British redcoats. Another reason was the opposition from both Northerners and Southerners, as they held a united hostility towards Black Americans. Although Washington allowed the enlistment of free black people, he refused to let enslaved people serve in the army, reinforcing a racial identity based on skin color.