Year: 2014

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The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on

Dissecting the Timeline of Paul Revere’s Ride

I’m a scientist by training. I received my master’s degree from MIT, which is incidentally where I fell in love with Boston’s revolutionary history. So, when I first began researching my forthcoming book on Revolutionary Boston, I approached the research very scientifically, considering things like moonlight phases, sunsets,[1] horse gaits and their associated speeds,[2] and […]

by Derek W. Beck
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People Posted on

Dr. Joseph Warren’s Informant

With April 19 nearing, marking the anniversary of the start of the American Revolutionary War (the official regional holiday of Patriot’s Day in New England), it seems only fitting to delve into the popular tale of the secret informant of Dr. Joseph Warren. As the story often goes, Dr. Joseph Warren, the de facto revolutionary […]

by Derek W. Beck
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People Posted on

8 Fast Facts About Camp Followers

They were always there, but are seldom mentioned.  Name any major battle or campaign: New York, Brandywine, Germantown, Saratoga, Yorktown, Camden, Kings Mountain, Guilford Courthouse, Cowpens, Charleston; there are accounts of Camp Followers at each of them.  Who were they?  What did they do?  Does it matter?  Think you know about soldiers’ wives?  Read on […]

by Robert M. Dunkerly
News Posted on

Top 10 Articles of March 2014

March was a very exciting month for Journal of the American Revolution (JAR). We welcomed Andrew O’Shaughnessy and Jerome Palliser as new contributors, and we hosted another group interview series with historians sounding off on the following questions: What is the most underrated battle? What is the most overrated battle? How would you describe the […]

by Editors
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Interviews Posted on

Most underrated battle?

Most underrated battle of the Revolutionary War? Why?   The most underrated battle of the war was Springfield, New Jersey, in 1780. If the Americans had lost, the war would have been virtually over. –Thomas Fleming   In the Battle of Pollilur on 10 Sept 1780, the forces of Mysore wiped out a British army of more […]

by Editors
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Interviews Posted on

Most overrated battle?

Most overrated battle of the Revolutionary War? Why?   Saratoga. It wasn’t a turning point and the general who theoretically won it, Horatio Gates, was a coward and a fake. –Thomas Fleming   Not a battle, but one of the most famous events of the war: Paul Revere’s ride was a brave, stirring act, but […]

by Editors
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Interviews Posted on

The American Revolution in One Tweet?

Twitter is the enormously popular social networking tool that enables one user to send “tweets” to many followers, or subscribers. The text message-like tweets are limited to 140 characters. Hence, the question: How would you describe the American Revolution in 140 characters or less?   The American Revolution was a complex eight year semi-civil war that was […]

by Editors
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Interviews Posted on

Favorite Quote?

What is your favorite quote by a Revolutionary?   “I see one head turning into thirteen.” Washington said this several times in the closing years of the war. After independence, it was THE crucial issue. –Thomas Fleming   “But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, […]

by Editors
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Interviews Posted on

The One Big Mystery?

What’s the one unanswered question about the American Revolution you’d most like answered? Put another way, what’s one remaining mystery of the Revolution that you’d most like solved?   Did General Washington order New York City burned in 1776? There is evidence that he discussed it. But no definite proof that he gave the order. […]

by Editors
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Places Posted on

2014 Conference on the American Revolution

This past weekend, scores of professional and amateur historians converged in Williamsburg, Virginia, for the 3rd Annual Conference on the American Revolution, a three-day event hosted by America’s History, LLC. Journal of the American Revolution (JAR) Editors Todd Andrlik and Don Hagist were among the conference speakers, which included: Edward G. Lengel: “Philadelphia is the […]

by Editors
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Economics Posted on

The Worth of a Continental

The American army during the Revolution consisted of three basic varieties of units—militia, state troops, and the Continental Army. Beginning with the earliest communities, militia served as a short-term local defense force raised by towns. The men who responded to the call on April 19, 1775, and laid siege to the British in Boston came […]

by Michael Barbieri
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People Posted on

Top 10 British Losers

The American Revolutionary War was a war Britain seemingly should have won.  Its failure is popularly blamed upon the incompetence of the political and military leaders who have consequently become objects of satire.  This is particularly true of portrayals in the movies and media which of course have a greater impact on perceptions than books.  […]

by Andrew O’Shaughnessy
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The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on

Almost Yorktown

The circumstances that forced the surrender of Cornwallis’s army at Yorktown are familiar enough. The British were trapped on a peninsula, Washington’s Continental Army preventing a land escape, a large French fleet preventing their escape by sea. Pounded by artillery and short on supplies, Cornwallis had no choice but to surrender his army. Afterward, the […]

by Michael Adelberg
People Posted on

James Screven – Ambushed!

Almost lost to history, but not quite, the memory of General James Screven lives on a monument in the middle of the Midway Cemetery and in a sketch available for viewing in the Midway Museum of Liberty County, Georgia.  At best, General Screven is a shadowy figure about whom little is known.  In fact, history […]

by Wayne Lynch
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Reviews Posted on

Westholme Publishing: Four Selections

I write the following book reviews to promote a small, but well-respected, outfit specializing in publishing Revolutionary War books (as well as other nonfiction works):  Westholme Publishing of Yardley, Pennsylvania.  Full disclosure:  Westholme has published two Revolutionary War books of mine (see author’s biography below).  Westholme provides a terrific service to those interested in studying […]

by Christian McBurney
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Reviews Posted on

Parker’s Guide to the Revolutionary War in South Carolina

Book Review: Parker’s Guide to the Revolutionary War in South Carolina; Battles, Skirmishes and Murders (2nd edition) By John C. Parker, Jr. Infinity Publishing, West Conshohocken, PA, 2013. Paper. $39.95 ISBN 978-0-9841058-1-6; 530 pages, 8.5 x11. Historian John C. Parker, Jr. has created an incredible resource for anyone caring to trace the Revolutionary War in […]

by Hugh T. Harrington
News Posted on

Top 10 Articles of February 2014

A belated happy Valentine’s Day to all our loyal readers! We hope you enjoyed our action-packed month of articles, which included gripping features about battles, retreats, espionage, mobs, drugs, ambushes, massacres and, oh yeah, our first celebrity interview (Hal Stalmaster, the actor who played Johnny Tremain in the Disney film). Below our the 10 most […]

by Editors
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Techniques & Tech Posted on

Infantry vs. Cavalry

Throughout the War for American Independence, infantry reigned as the primary martial arm of the conflict. Their principle weapon was the smoothbore musket, followed with the bayonet. A musket had an effective range of approximately eighty yards – meaning a fired musket ball would typically land somewhere on a man sized target at eighty yards.[1]  […]

by Daniel Murphy
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People Posted on

Top 10 American Loyalist Officers

Many historical accounts over look the impact of American loyalist military leaders and their revolutionary war contributions to the British cause.  50,000 or more soldiers in loyalist combat units actively participated in most major revolutionary battles throughout North America[1].  In addition to much needed combat power, they provided valuable scouting, battlefield intelligence and geographic knowledge. […]

by Gene Procknow