Year: 2016

3
Religion Posted on

Religious Liberty in Virginia: How “Dissenters” Parlayed Oppression into Freedom

Virginia’s role in helping to spearhead disestablishment and religious freedom has not received the treatment it deserves although it was, itself, a moving force behind Virginia’s entrée into the revolution. It was, in fact, Virginia which ultimately spearheaded and codified separation of church and state, after a reform movement which itself played a significant role […]

by Alex Colvin
The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on

Skirmish at the Thomas House: America’s First Sniper Team?

Even under the strange, somewhat inept leadership of Loyalist Col. John Moore, the task of hampering Spartanburg’s Fair Forest role as a Patriot stronghold should have been straightforward. What could not have been known is what would happen when the frontier’s best sharpshooter teamed up with three lovely, most remarkable of women along with a […]

by Conner Runyan
6
The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on

Was the Revolutionary War in the south winnable by the British?

A re-evaluation from a British perspective in the light of The Cornwallis Papers Relying mostly on inferences drawn from my commentary in The Cornwallis Papers,[1] I shall seek to demonstrate that Britain’s grand strategy for reducing the southern colonies was at least in part sound and it may well have achieved a lasting measure of success […]

by Ian Saberton
1
Reviews Posted on

George Washington’s Secret Spy War

Book review: George Washington’s Secret Spy War: The Making of America’s First Spymaster by John A. Nagy (St. Martin’s Press, September 2016) [BUY NOW ON AMAZON] Revolutionary War era spying has received a great deal of attention over the past decade. The “Culper Ring,” which provided George Washington with intelligence operating out of New York City […]

by Alec D. Rogers
News Posted on

Top 10 Articles of September 2016

What a month! Fresh off one of our busiest months ever, Journal of the American Revolution welcomed nine new writers: Ian Saberton, Dennis Ness, Philip D. Weaver, Roger Smith, Phillip R. Giffin, Kelly Mielke, Charles H. Lagerbom, C. L. Bragg and Zachary Brown. We also began work on our 2017 hardcover edition—stay tuned for details next month. And last call […]

by Editors
Prewar Politics (<1775) Posted on

How Britain Tried to Intimidate Colonial Taxpayers into Compliance

The Fourth Amendment The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreas­onable sear­ches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no War­rants shall issue, but upon probable cause, sup­ported by Oath or affir­mation, and parti­cularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to […]

by Neal Nusholtz
4
The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on

The Southern Expedition of 1776: The Best Kept Secret of the American Revolution

One of the most enjoyable aspects of researching the history of the American Revolution is the process of looking beneath and/or beyond those events and factoids that survive simply because they are a “given.” “Givens” are the greatest indicators of opportunities to search for missing pieces to any historical puzzle and new questions are the […]

by Roger Smith
1
Reviews Posted on

“Most Blessed of the Patriarchs:” Thomas Jefferson and the Empire of Imagination

Book review: “Most Blessed of the Patriarchs:” Thomas Jefferson and the Empire of Imagination  by Annette Gordon-Reed and Peter S. Onuf (Liveright Publishing Corporation, 2016). [BUY NOW ON AMAZON] Since the death of one of the Revolution’s foremost patriots and author of the Declaration of Independence, Americans have grappled with Thomas Jefferson’s legacy.  Undoubtedly one […]

by Kelly Mielke
13
People Posted on

Revolutionary “Last Words”

The last, dying words of many of history’s renowned figures were often inconsistently recorded. Those identified below from people who were famous during the Revolutionary War time period certainly demonstrate that fact.  While some can be relied upon for accuracy, the literature reveals that for others various additions and omissions took place over time, and […]

by Gary Shattuck
1
Reviews Posted on

Fatal Sunday: George Washington, the Monmouth Campaign, and the Politics of Battle

Book review: Fatal Sunday: George Washington, the Monmouth Campaign, and the Politics of Battle, by Mark Edward Lender and Garry Wheeler Stone (University of Oklahoma Press, 2016). [BUY NOW ON AMAZON] The Battle of Monmouth, fought in New Jersey on June 28, 1778, between the American and British armies, has been the subject of several books, all […]

by Jim Piecuch
News Posted on

Top 10 Articles of August 2016

Several shiny new things were unveiled at the journal in August—new articles, new writers, new emails, new products, new videos, a new feature, a new advertiser and a refreshed design of the website. Here’s the 30-second rundown: Looking for a revolutionary tour experience? Register for Charles Baxley’s exciting new bus and boat tour, “The Swamp Fox Rides […]

by Editors
1
People Posted on

Sir John Johnson, The Hard Luck Baronet

John Johnson was the only white son of the Anglo-Irish immigrant William Johnson, the superintendent of Northern Indians, who gained considerable fame, fortune and a knighthood by commanding the 1755 action at Lake George, defeating a French and Canadien expedition and capturing its commander. William gained further recognition and notoriety by assuming command of the […]

by Gavin K. Watt
1
Reviews Posted on

The 18th Century Material Culture Resource Center

Website review: The 18th Century Material Culture Resource Center (also on Facebook) Debunking myths is one of our favorite things at Journal of the American Revolution: setting the story straight on things that have become shrouded in exaggeration or falsehood. We seldom, however, deal with topics concerning material culture, the everyday objects and articles that surrounded […]

by Don N. Hagist
29
People Posted on

Top 10 Banastre Tarleton Myths

He was arguably the greatest “anti-Hero” produced by either side during the Revolutionary War.   From Washington Irving to Mel Gibson, so much has been written about the career of Banastre Tarleton that it is difficult, even today, to separate man from myth.  Yet many of the most persistent and damning indictments of him are also […]

by John Knight
4
Reviews Posted on

Valiant Ambition

Book review: Valiant Ambition. George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution by Nathaniel Philbrick (Viking Books. 2016) [BUY NOW ON AMAZON] Nathaniel Philbrick’s most recent offering, Valiant Ambition, tackles the difficult task of constructing a dual study of two very dissimilar men: George Washington, who led and personified the cause of independence, and […]

by Richard F. Welch
1
People Posted on

William Maxwell, New Jersey’s Hard Fighting General

Brig. Gen. William “Scotch Willie” Maxwell usually receives scant attention in books covering the American Revolution. If the author mentions Maxwell at all, the cursory biographical sketch usually focuses on his nickname, his heavy drinking, and his Irish origin. This colorful portrayal does not give credit to Maxwell’s many contributions during the war, most significantly […]

by Thomas Thorleifur Sobol