Author: Todd Andrlik

Todd Andrlik is the founding editor of Journal of the American Revolution, as well as author/editor of Reporting the Revolutionary War: Before It Was History, It Was News (Sourcebooks, 2012), named one of the Best Books of 2012 by Barnes & Noble and Best American Revolution Book of the Year by the New York American Revolution Round Table. A full-time marketing and media professional, Andrlik has written or ghost-written thousands of published articles on various business topics. His history-related work has been featured by Slate, Huffington Post, Boston Globe, Smithsonian, TIME, NPR, C-SPAN, CNN, MSNBC, Mount Vernon, American Revolution Center, Fraunces Tavern Museum and more.

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The Hated Benjamin Franklin

The front page of April 18, 1765, Pennsylvania Gazette featured one of the earliest American printings of the Stamp Act. “Printed by B. Franklin, Post-Master, and “D. Hall,” the newspaper offered no critical comment on the new law as threatening people’s liberties. Benjamin Franklin became publisher of the Gazette in 1729. He took on Scottish […]

by Todd Andrlik
Arts & Literature Posted on

Lost and Found

You may think that newspapers are only good for news, but advertising is a critical part of their content. Not only does advertising bring in substantial revenue for the publisher, it’s the reason why many people purchase the paper – think about those coupons, classifieds and supplements. For historians, advertising is also an essential part […]

by Todd Andrlik
Interviews Posted on

12 Questions with Ray Raphael

If Ray Raphael had a personal mission statement, it would likely be three sentences from a recent profile story in Reed magazine: Ray wants to rescue history from mythology. He wants our understanding of revolutionary America to be based on evidence, not ideological convenience. And he won’t stop until he gets it right. I’ve had […]

by Todd Andrlik
Interviews Posted on

12 Questions with Holly Mayer

When we asked our Facebook readers who they’d most like to see interviewed, Holly A. Mayer was at the top of that list. Mayer just stepped down as chair of the History Department at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to focus on research and teaching. She concentrates her scholarship on civil-military relations during the Revolutionary […]

by Todd Andrlik
Beyond the Classroom Posted on

American Revolution Presentations on Prezi and SlideShare

Most scholars of the American Revolution do their research in libraries and digital archives. Google Books, JSTOR, American Archives and Founders Online are among the hottest mostly-free online resources for serious exploration.  While I love deep-archive diving as much as the next professional, I also find great joy in the occasional shallow or leisurely swims […]

by Todd Andrlik
Interviews Posted on

12 Questions with T. H. Breen

I recently asked our readers via Facebook who they’d most like to see interviewed next and T.H. Breen was among the handful of historians named (hat tip to Matthew Kroelinger). Breen is the William Smith Mason Professor of American History at Northwestern University and a specialist on the American revolution. He is the author of […]

by Todd Andrlik
Interviews Posted on

Rapid-fire Q&A with Gordon S. Wood

Google Gordon S. Wood and you’ll find dozens of well-earned introductions: One of the foremost scholars on the American Revolution… One of the most esteemed historians… One of the most important authors… One of the most distinguished, celebrated, prominent… “Gordon S. Wood is more than an American historian. He is almost an American institution,” wrote […]

by Todd Andrlik
Beyond the Classroom Posted on

Society of the Cincinnati TV

Let’s face it. New, high-quality video content about the American Revolution is in short supply. More institutions and individuals are realizing the importance of video in education and marketing (thank you Yale and Joanne Freeman, and the American Revolution Center), but fear of the camera and perceived high costs still scare many away. One organization […]

by Todd Andrlik
Beyond the Classroom Posted on

The Revolution’s 150-year Impact on Military Policy

For the enhanced e-version of Reporting the Revolutionary War, I filmed interviews with several of the book’s historian contributors.  My questions covered a lot of ground, including military strategy, print culture, politics, health, logistics, etc.  We finished with 100+ video segments totaling more than five hours of Q&A. Frequently, our conversations went off on tangents […]

by Todd Andrlik
Arts & Literature Posted on

The Record-setting Philadelphia Mariner

“John Ashmead, Philadelphia mariner, had the unique distinction of performing one hundred voyages in a long, exciting, useful life. The accomplishment was never exceeded, and, perhaps, never equaled in the era of sailing ships,” according to “The John Ashmead Story, 1738-1818,” by William Bell Clark (Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Jan 1958). This advertisement […]

by Todd Andrlik
Beyond the Classroom Posted on

Crash Course: Tea, Taxes, etc.

After writing seven books, New York Times bestselling author John Green stopped textual communication and began vlogging, or video blogging. Working with his brother, Hank, the two use videos to teach others about world history and biology. Five months ago, they published an educational piece summarizing the American Revolution. Enjoy! For more Crash Course entertainment, […]

by Todd Andrlik