But what still hightens our Apprehensions is that those unexpected proceedings may be preparatory to new Taxations upon us: For if our Trade may be taxed why not our Lands? Why not the produce of our Lands and every Thing we possess or make use of? This we apprehend annihilates our Charter Rights to Govern […]
When a party is formed within the State which ceases to obey the sovereign and is strong enough to make a stand against him, or when a Republic is divided into two opposite factions, and both sides take up arms, there exists a civil war. … it is perfectly clear that the established laws of […]
On March 10, 1782, Colonel David Fanning led a band of vengeful Loyalists on a path of slaughter and arson in northern Randolph County, North Carolina, his Bloody Sabbath house-calls. Most of our information about this episode has been from E. W. Caruthers’s 1854 Revolutionary Incidents and Fanning’s own Narrative, first published in 1861, thirty-six […]
Journal of the American Revolution is hosting a RevWar Schmoozer next Friday, May 8, to celebrate our 2015 annual volume and new book series. The networking event for history professionals and amateurs will be held at The Point, 147 Hanover Street in Boston. The Point’s second floor is reserved from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. The […]
In 1779 George Washington moved the Continental Army into New Jersey. He wanted to be within striking distance of New York City but at the same time be able to respond to an attack in or around Philadelphia. He chose Morristown at Jockey Hollow in the Watchung Mountains as his camp and headquarters. To protect […]
In August 1779 Continental army surgeon Jabez Campfield wrote, “How hard is the soldier’s lott who’s least danger is in the field of action? Fighting happens seldom, but fatigue, hunger, cold & heat are constantly varying his distress.” In the same vein, eighteenth century common soldiers spent much more time preparing meals, digging fortifications or […]
Co-authored with Don N. Hagist An inevitable facet of warfare is prisoners. During the American Revolution, thousands of soldiers and sailors were captured by each side and the prisoners suffered in many ways. The impact of these captures extended far beyond immediate manpower concerns, compelling each side to confront unwanted, huge logistical considerations concerning their […]
A soldier’s life in the eighteenth century was surely difficult. Most people think only of the total war that raged on, where troops marched towards uncertainty and possible death in battle lines, firing volleys at one another. But it wasn’t always about facing the enemy; military life was full of its own dangers even while […]
Most people don’t know this, but Hugh T. Harrington is the reason that the Journal of the American Revolution exists. I remember calling him one night in August 2012 and sharing my crazy idea. I spent several minutes explaining the master plan for an online magazine, the need for a memorable website address, and the […]
The Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington, home of the George Washington Leadership Institute, is proud to host George Washington’s Yorktown: From Mount Vernon to Victory, June 6-7, 2015. Join us for a two-day tour and battlefield excursion experience that highlights the strategic, operational, and tactical levels of the Yorktown […]
“For it’s a tall old tree and a strong old tree. And we are the sons, yes, we are the sons… the sons of liberty”[1]. So went the catchy song that the tea-dumping Sons of Liberty sang loudly in the streets that night, all in perfect harmony and accompanied by mysterious instruments that came out […]
In 1775, Gilbert du Motier de Lafayette was an eighteen-year-old French soldier assigned to military maneuvers at Metz. At Metz, he attended an official dinner where the Duke of Gloucester, younger brother of England’s King George III, was expounding upon the American Revolution.[1] Amazed by what he heard, Lafayette later wrote, “My heart was enlisted, […]
On April 24, General Gage sent his account of the confrontations at Lexington and Concord aboard the 200-ton, cargo-ladened Sukey to Lord Barrington, the Secretary of War and to the Earl of Dartmouth, the Secretary of State for the Colonies.[1] His letter to Lord Barrington, written on the 22nd, began with an understated opening sentence: […]
It is not by coincidence that almost every battle of the American Revolution was fought along a road. Everything an army needed was carried on wagons which could only travel on roads. While a detachment of soldiers could operate independently for a short time by carrying their provisions or foraging for food, the movement of […]
Shortly after the onset of the Revolutionary War, Americans started to harass British commercial shipping close-to-home. One ship captain who engaged in this type of naval warfare was Gustavus Conyngham. He was credited with the most ships apprehended, but received little gratitude, remuneration or recognition in maritime history, and in performing his service, he may […]
By the time he arrived in Boston with the 44th Regiment of Foot, Martin Hurley was an experienced soldier. He’d joined the army in 1767, and learned the military trade well enough to be put into the regiment’s grenadier company, men distinguished by their martial competence as well as their tall stature.[1] The 44th was […]
A soldier writes his wife: Mount Independence, June 8, 1777 I heartily embrace the opportunity to write to you, hoping that these will find you and yours in good health as I am now. I have been vary hearty since I left home. I herd last week that you were all well. Mr. Church said […]
Book Review: The Royalist Revolution: Monarchy and the American Founding, by Eric Nelson (Cambridge: Belknap Press, 2014) The Royalist Revolution, by Eric Nelson, provides a fresh take on the American Revolution by examining motives behind the rebellion. The book explains that the war distinguishes itself from any other revolution, in that the colonists’ revolted against […]
I’ve written before about the darker side of the militia, but what hasn’t yet been detailed is the general incompetence of the Pennsylvania militia. Look no further than the year 1778. While the militia might generally have been untrustworthy throughout the war, especially in Pennsylvania, 1778 stands out among the rest. This is partly because […]
Of the many thousands of soldiers and seamen serving during the Revolutionary War, only a select few were singled out by the Continental Congress to receive its highest honors. Seventeen men had the distinction of being named, but of them, only seven received the ultimate award, a gold medal. The names of those seven are […]
The Committee of Secret Correspondence was established by the Continental Congress on November 29, 1775.[1] It was responsible for employing secret agents abroad, developing a courier system for dispatches, and disseminating and funding propaganda. The first intelligence agent recruited by the Committee was Arthur Lee, a doctor living in London. He was appointed on November […]
Mark your calendars! To celebrate the launch of Annual Volume 2015 and our recently announced book series, Journal of the American Revolution is hosting its second RevWar Schmoozer in Boston. The event is confirmed for Friday, May 8, upstairs at The Point (147 Hanover St.) from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. The space is reserved exclusively […]
April in Virginia is regarded by many as the best month of the year. Sandwiched between the chilly bluster of March and the growing heat and humidity of May and June, April is characterized by warm but not hot days, cool but not cold nights, gentle breezes and gentle rains. There are, of course, exceptions. […]
Many of the officers who became generals in the Continental Army started out with noble intentions but politics and business often pulled them away from fighting against Great Britain to more personal goals. John Sullivan returned to Congress after his successful expedition against the Indians and Tories. Joseph Reed served as aide to George Washington […]
This was a momentous month for Journal of the American Revolution. Yesterday, we officially announced our new book series with Westholme and the first two titles that will publish next March: The Road to Concord: How Four Small Cannons Set Off the American Revolution by J. L. Bell Grand Forage 1778: The Revolutionary War’s Forgotten […]
The Journal of the American Revolution (https://allthingsliberty.com) is launching a new book series on the American Revolution in partnership with Westholme Publishing, LLC. The journal and Westholme will jointly serve as the editorial board of the series, known as Journal of the American Revolution Books. Two titles will serve as the inaugural volumes of the […]
In late October of 1777, America celebrated its first capture of a British Army; General Horatio Gates had defeated General Sir John Burgoyne near the village of Saratoga in upstate New York. The prisoners, known as the Convention Army after the semi-treaty that effected their surrender, were moved to a camp outside of Boston. By […]
Good Revolutionary War commanders understood the value of intelligence on their adversaries. The great eighteenth century military theorist Marshal de Saxe, who was on every good general’s reading list, wrote that to win in battle “nothing more is required than to keep good intelligence, to acquire a knowledge of the country, and to assume the […]
Battles are complicated events where conflicting or unclear information can confuse even good generals. Here are some examples of when American intelligence systems failed, usually with terribly tragic results. Quebec In late 1775 the Continental Congress planned to neutralize threats from Canada by seizing Montreal. Gen. George Washington, commanding the Continental Army at Boston, decided […]
Captain Jonathan Carver’s Reconnaissance Captain Jonathan Carver was hired in August 1766 as a surveyor and draughtsman by Major Robert Rogers, the newly appointed governor-commandant of British Fort Michilimackinac. Rogers instructed Carver to familiarize himself with the northern Mississippi River basin and western Lake Superior region’s geography, prepare a map of the area and then, […]
Book Review: The Revolution’s Last Men: The Soldiers Behind the Photographs by Don N. Hagist (Westholme Publishing, 2015). In 1864, The Last Men of the Revolution was written by Elias Hillard. It purported to be not only the stories of these ancient warriors from the American Revolution but also included their photographs. Hillard and his […]
Following their victory at the Battle of Long Island (Brooklyn) on August 27 1776, the British established their headquarters in New York City where it remained throughout the war. They extended their control eastward into Long Island, intending to use it as a combination barracks, larder, and fortress. The British studded the Island’s northern shoreline […]
Wars were fought by soldiers, but it is the campaigns and commanders that are remembered and studied. This is a shame because the soldiers had a remarkable range of fascinating experiences, often more exciting than those of the policymakers they served. And yet, the farther back in history one goes, the fewer personal stories of […]
A month into the historic 1774 meeting of the 1st Continental Congress, delegates John Adams of Massachusetts and Richard Henry Lee of Virginia sparked a heated debate when they proposed that Congress urge each colony to place their militia on a more proper footing.1 Patrick Henry of Virginia forcefully supported these militia proposals, declaring that, […]
Amphibious operations, which involve landing troops and supplies from the sea to the land, are extremely difficult and require special techniques, close coordination between the navy and army, as well as specialized equipment. The British learned the required skills during the Seven Years’ War. After a failed attack on the French port of Rochefort the […]
Journal of the American Revolution (JAR) is 27 months old. Already. It’s growing up so fast. And thanks to an ever-increasing cadre of contributors and a wonderfully large and diverse audience, there’s much more to come in the future. The goal for JAR has always been to provide impeccable historical information in an approachable format […]
The Fort Plain Museum, in the heart of upstate New York, is proud to announce its “First Annual Conference on the American Revolution in the Mohawk Valley.” The Mohawk played a key role in the struggle for American independence. Discover the area’s rich history and attend an exciting new conference that will take place Friday, Saturday […]
The American public’s interest in Ethan Allen as a “larger than life” folk hero during and since the American Revolution is well documented.[1] After leading the capture of Ft. Ticonderoga in May 1775, Allen’s notoriety as the leader of the Green Mountain Boys in the northern frontier, which subsequently became Vermont, spread throughout the thirteen […]
In Hershel Parker’s excellent article in the October 2014 Journal of the American Revolution (“Fanning Outfoxes Marion”) he makes reference to an important research tool, namely hundreds of Revolutionary War pension applications that have recently been transcribed by Will Graves and C. Leon Harris, and are in searchable electronic format.[1] This is an important tool […]
