Jehu Grant was born a slave in Rhode Island. He was living in Narragansett in 1777 when he ran away from his enslaver Elihu Champlen and served in various capacities in the Continental Army for eight months during the American Revolutionary War as a waggoner and servant to John Skidmore Wagon master. His situation was discovered, and he was returned to Champlen, who later sold him to a man named Grant. With the assistance of Joshua Swann, his freedom was purchased from that enslaver, and in return, he agreed to work for Swann for a certain time.