Month: July 2019

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This Week on Dispatches: Tristan J. New on Joseph Galloway’s Efforts for a Peaceful Resolution with Great Britain

On this week’s Dispatches host Brady Crytzer interviews budding scholar Tristan J. New about Joseph Galloway and his proposal for a peaceful political resolution with Great Britain rather than armed rebellion. His proposal was  rejected by Congress and sent him firmly into the Loyalist camp once the war began. As your host Brady Crytzer says, “Sit […]

by Editors
6
Critical Thinking Posted on

The Constitution Counted Free Women and Children—And It Mattered

As adopted by the Constitutional Convention, Article I, Section 2, Clause 3 of the Constitution mandated that the population numbers forming the basis for calculating representation in the House of Representatives would “be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding […]

by Andrew M. Schocket
10
People Posted on

“Monsr Dubuq,” the First French Officer to Serve the American Cause?

To historians of the American Revolution, the date of 1775 for French participation in the Patriot cause may seem incredible. The enigmatic “Monsr Dubuq,” “Dubuc,” or “Dubuque” was nonetheless, one of the first French officers to assist in the American Revolution, before envoy M. Julien Bonvouloir,[1] and two years prior to the arrival of Baron […]

by Frederic C. Detwiller
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This Week on Dispatches: John L. Smith, Jr. on John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and King Louis XVI together at Notre-Dame

On this week’s Dispatches host Brady Crytzer interviews actor, teacher, US Army and US Air Force veteran, and JAR contributor, John L. Smith, Jr., about the extraordinary day in 1785 when Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and his family, and the king and queen of France attended a service at Notre-Dame. As your host Brady Crytzer says, […]

by Editors
13
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“The Only Unavoidable Subject of Regret”: George Washington, Slavery, and the Enslaved Community at Mount Vernon

“The Only Unavoidable Subject of Regret”:  George Washington, Slavery, and the Enslaved Community at Mount Vernon by Mary V. Thompson (Charlottesville, VA:  University of Virginia Press, 2019) Mary V. Thompson, accomplished Mount Vernon Estate historian, attempts to answer the question “Was Washington a good slave owner?” with her book, “The Only Unavoidable Subject of Regret”:  […]

by Timothy Symington
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This Week on Dispatches: Philip D. Weaver on the Court-Martial of New York Captain Joel Pratt

On this week’s Dispatches host Brady Crytzer interviews JAR contributor, independent researcher, and living historian Philip D. Weaver on the story of New York Captain Joel Pratt and his court-martial. As your host Brady Crytzer says, “Sit back, relax, and enjoy the interview. . . .” New episodes of Dispatches are available for free every Sunday […]

by Editors
1
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Contributor Close Up: Kelly Mielke

A lifelong lover of history, Kelly Mielke lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with her husband, four cats, dog, and horse. Passionate about academic pursuits, Kelly holds a master’s degree in history from the joint program between the College of Charleston and the Citadel and is currently pursuing a second Master’s degree in English. When she’s […]

by Editors
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This Week on Dispatches: Charles H. Lagerbom on HMS Albany and Henry Mowatt

On this week’s Dispatches host Brady Crytzer interviews historian and archaeologist Charles H. Lagerbom about the British sloop-of-war HMS Albany  and its captain Henry Mowatt, known for the bombardment of  Falmouth, Maine, and the defeat of the American Penobscot Expedition. The Albany  was wrecked off Maine in 1782 and has been subject to underwater archaeology. As your host […]

by Editors
4
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Quarters: The Accommodation of the British Army and the Coming of the American Revolution

Quarters: The Accommodation of the British Army and the Coming of the American Revolution by John Gilbert McCurdy (Cornell University Press, 2019) Question: “Why did the colonists fight the British?” Answer: “Because the British Army stayed in their houses.” This question and answer comes from a United States government practice test for the U. S. citizenship […]

by Don N. Hagist
Myths and Legends Posted on

The Declaration of Independence: Did John Hancock Really Say That about his Signature?—and Other Signing Stories

When we picture the Declaration of Independence, most of us immediately think of the document handwritten on parchment and signed at the bottom by fifty-six members of the Second Continental Congress. Few individuals from the first two generations of Americans shared that view, however. The vast majority of those citizens never saw the Congress’s document, […]

by J. L. Bell
7
People Posted on

Benedict Arnold and James Wemyss: Similar Experiences Contrasting Legacies

Often, a person’s legacy is defined by decisions made at pivotal moments rather than a lifetime of previous accomplishments. The is especially true for two aspiring, highly competent military officers in senior leadership positions during the fractious American Rebellion. Although initially on opposing sides, the wartime and personal experiences of the infamous Maj. Gen. Benedict […]

by Gene Procknow
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This Week on Dispatches: Michael Gadue on Naval Strategies of the Saratoga Campaign

On this week’s Dispatches host Brady Crytzer interviews law professor and US Army officer Michael Gadue about naval strategies during the Saratoga campaign, including the construction of the British floating gun battery, Thunderer. As your host Brady Crytzer says, “Sit back, relax, and enjoy the interview. . . .” New episodes of Dispatches are available for free every […]

by Editors