Myth: “The fate of a nation was riding that night,” Longfellow wrote. Fortunately, a heroic rider from Boston woke up the sleepy-eyed farmers just in time. Thanks to Revere, the farmers grabbed their muskets and the American Revolution was underway: “And the spark struck out by that steed, in his flight, / Kindled the land […]
Lying between Vermont and New York, astride the border between the United States and Canada, accessible via canals from the St. Lawrence and Hudson Rivers, and 125 miles long, Lake Champlain is a major boating attraction. On any summer’s day, hundreds of watercraft displaying registrations from numerous states and Canadian provinces will pause for a […]
At dawn on April 19, 1775, the British detachment of light infantry under Maj. Pitcairn reached Lexington, about two-thirds the way to Concord. There they found the local Lexington Militia Company under Capt. John Parker waiting for them, all armed and formed on the central Lexington Green. Considering it a challenge, the first and second […]
It was an unfortunate expedient, but one that had grown unavoidable. On September 8, 1776, George Washington penned a lengthy report to Congress in which he detailed the pending decision to abandon New York City. Although Washington acknowledged that quitting New York would clearly have an adverse affect on the American war effort, he summed […]
The inhabitants of Alexandria, Virginia, awoke on April 11, 1781 to a disturbing sight. A flotilla of enemy ships that had spent the last ten days pillaging property on both sides of the Potomac River many miles to the south, had suddenly arrived off of Alexandria. One observer in Alexandria counted, “three Ships, two Brigs […]
Book Review: The Men Who Lost America, British Leadership, the American Revolution, and the Fate of the Empire By Andrew Jackson O’Shaughnessy Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. Hardback. $37.50 ISBN: 978-0-300-19107-3;466 pages, 7.25 x10.25. Many of us have been brought up with the understanding that the British leadership, both military and/or governmental, was made […]
After a British fleet of seventy-one warships and transports entered Narragansett Bay on December 7, 1776, and the next day landed soldiers that occupied Newport, Rhode Island, as well as the rest of Aquidneck Island, the Royal Navy had an excellent port for its ships to spend the winter. In addition, the fleet’s commander, Commodore […]
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 […]
Lord Cornwallis dealt General Horatio Gates a terrible defeat at Camden in South Carolina. The battle represented a rather rude jolt to the reputation of the American general who had orchestrated the victory at Saratoga a few years earlier; to make matters even worse, rumors of personal cowardice followed the general for the rest of […]
People characterize the American Revolution in terms of Patriots and Loyalists – those who supported the rebellion, and those who supported the British government. When assessing individuals, it is tempting to assume we know which side they were on based on specific things that they did. But it’s not always so cut and dry. Is […]
An armed conflict between British Regulars and armed Colonials prior to 1775? Oh yes, yes indeed. In fact this conflict raged for several months between 1765 and 1766, all along the Western Pennsylvania frontier (what is now Franklin County). It resulted in the wounding of one civilian, dozens of horses slain, wagons destroyed, money lost, […]
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 […]
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 […]
Danger, secrets, intrigue and revenge were all part of the Culper spy ring, and the new AMC series “Turn,” premiering April 6 (Sundays 9/8 central), offers a fascinating look into how these intrepid American spies helped win the Revolutionary War. AMC provided Journal of the American Revolution an early screening of the first three episodes. […]
The Journal of the American Revolution today announces the launch of its Book of the Year Award, an annual book prize to the non-fiction volume that best mirrors the mission of Journal of the American Revolution, which is to deliver passionate, creative and smart content that makes American Revolution history more palatable for a broad […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
Four years into the Seven Years’ War, an expensive global conflict known better as the French and Indian War in America, a twenty-two-year-old prince was crowned King of the British Empire upon the death of his grandfather, King George II. The London Gazette was the first to publish news of the accession of King George […]
Dear Readers: This month we address a comment from fellow contributor Ray Raphael. In January, after a discussion of the 1781 mutiny by the Pennsylvania Line, Ray astutely noted that a similar revolt by New Jersey troops presents an interesting contrast in how the Continental Army dealt with mutinies. So what happened with the New […]
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. […]
During the sweltering hot day of June 28, 1778, the Continental Army and the British Army fought the longest battle of the Revolutionary War at Monmouth Court House. Major General Charles Lee reluctantly agreed to lead the initial American effort, after first turning it down. Instructed by George Washington to attempt some type of action […]
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 […]
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 1768, Pennsylvania political activist John Dickinson became a true triple threat. He was already one of the most successful lawyers and businessmen in all of Pennsylvania and Delaware, and was the author of the “Letter from a Farmer” essays, one of the most widely admired and reprinted political pamphlets of the decade. And that […]
He may have beaten the British, but by the time George Washington became president, his sweet tooth (singular tooth)[i] for tasty desserts had not yet been conquered. Puddings, jellies and pies had been commonplace dessert offerings when George and Martha entertained at Mount Vernon, which they did before and after the War for Independence. But […]
This article was originally published in Journal of the American Revolution, Vol. 1 (Ertel Publishing, 2013). It was a day of mourning all across America. The Boston Port Act, which closed the port of Boston as punishment for the Tea Party, took effect on June 1, 1774. Business ceased precisely at noon at the customs […]
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 […]
There were many sieges during the American Revolution. Some are well-known even to novice students of the war, like Boston and Yorktown; others are known only to those who study in more depth, like Newport and Charleston. They lasted for weeks or sometimes months; the siege of Boston spanned almost a year. They pale in […]
Crispus Attucks (c.1723-1770) is often remembered as the first casualty of the American Revolution. In fact, others had died in previous incidents, but Attucks’s death during the King Street riot of March 5, 1770—later referred to as the Boston Massacre—earned him a place in the national narrative of America. In that skirmish between soldiers and […]
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 […]
This article was originally published in Journal of the American Revolution, Vol. 1 (Ertel Publishing, 2013). Solving “the Most Astounding” Mystery of the American Revolution In early spring 1773, readers of the Boston Gazette came across an ambitious business proposal when they opened the March 22 issue. New York printer and bookseller James Rivington, then […]
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 […]
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] […]
