*** All JAR Articles ***

The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on December 9, 2014August 28, 2016

The Culper Spy Ring Was not the First to Warn the French at Newport

On July 10, 1780, a French fleet of seven ships of the line and four frigates under Admiral Chevalier de Ternay, along with thirty-six transport vessels carrying about 6,000 French soldiers commanded by Lieutenant General Comte de Rochambeau and their supplies, arrived off of Newport, Rhode Island. The plan was to use the port town […]

by Christian McBurney

Prewar Politics (<1775) Posted on December 8, 2014August 28, 2016

The Seed from which the Sons of Liberty Grew

On March 9, 1764, George Grenville proposed a stamp tax in a speech to Parliament; its purpose was to reduce the cost of maintaining 10,000 garrisoned soldiers in North America. Grenville claimed it would be similar to the one administered in England in 1694.[1] Eleven months later, on February 17, the Act was passed in […]

by Bob Ruppert

People Posted on December 4, 2014August 28, 2016

John McClure Rallies the South

Had he made it through the war, John McClure’s name would likely draw equal fame and respect as the nation’s most celebrated southern patriots. Indeed, not only can John be considered the first officer in the field against British occupation after the disaster at Charleston in June 1780 but, without his courage and leadership, the […]

by Wayne Lynch

Reviews Posted on December 3, 2014January 2, 2015

For Fear of an Elective King: George Washington and the Presidential Title Controversy of 1789

Book Review: For Fear of an Elective King: George Washington and the Presidential Title Controversy of 1789 by Kathleen Bartoloni-Tuazon (Cornell University Press, 2014) The debate that erupted in the Congress in the spring of 1789 as to whether the delegates should address the president as “His Majesty the President” or “His Highness the President […]

by Benjamin Huggins

People Posted on December 2, 2014August 28, 2016

Newton Prince and the Struggle for Liberty

On the 5th of March, 1770, Newton Prince heard Boston’s church bells start to ring. He ran to the door of his house and heard “the cry of fire.” Putting on his shoes, Prince went out to help fight the blaze, as town inhabitants were supposed to do. On the streets he asked other men […]

by J. L. Bell

People Posted on December 1, 2014August 28, 2016

Ann Bates: British Spy Extraordinaire

With the recent popularity of spies in the Revolutionary War, led by AMC’s TURN cable television series and the bestselling book George Washington’s Secret Six: the Spy Ring that Saved the American Revolution, the impact that spies had on the outcome of campaigns and other aspects of the war has sometimes been exaggerated. I focus […]

by Christian McBurney

Food & Lifestyle Posted on November 27, 2014August 28, 2016

Guess what day it is?

How did you know today was Thanksgiving Day? Well, it is a national holiday and all, but besides that, how did you know? Odds are you just, well, knew, because everyone’s been talking about it for at least a few weeks, if for no other reason. But even months ago, if you wanted to know, […]

by Don N. Hagist

Food & Lifestyle Posted on November 25, 2014August 28, 2016

Peggy Left the Party, and You Won’t Believe What Happened Next

It probably started out as a good party, but as sometimes happens when merriment is mixed with a little too much alcohol, it ended badly. The one redeeming factor was that key events went on record, leaving us with valuable insights into the lives of soldiers and their wives during the American Revolution. By November […]

by Don N. Hagist

The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on November 24, 2014August 28, 2016

The Bermuda Powder Raids of 1775

In 1775, the tension between the American colonies and Great Britain escalated into armed conflict at then-little-known places such as Lexington, Concord and Bunker Hill. As a result, throughout the spring and into the summer American colonial legislatures and the military were scrambling to secure supplies of every kind. Until that time much of the […]

by Hugh T. Harrington

Politics During the War (1775-1783) Posted on November 18, 2014August 28, 2016

Reconciliation No Longer An Option

On June 23, 1775, the Continental Congress appointed a committee to write a declaration that would explain the military conflict with England to the American people. The members of the committee were John Jay, Thomas Johnson, John Rutledge, Benjamin Franklin, and William Livingston. On June 26, after a draft was submitted to Congress and sent […]

by Bob Ruppert

Reviews Posted on November 17, 2014April 20, 2015

The Military Library

An essential part of a gentleman’s possessions was a good library, containing books on a variety of subjects to reinforce a well-rounded classical education. Besides books on agriculture, literature, history, geography and arts, a selection of military books were a likely part of this library. In an era of militias officered by the gentleman class, […]

by Don N. Hagist

People Posted on November 12, 2014August 28, 2016

The Spartans of Long Island

According to some local sources, “Long island was the Thermopylae of the Revolution and the Pennsylvania Germans were its Spartans.”[1] While laden with hyperbole and bias, this is the claim made about the Northampton County Flying Camp battalion under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Peter Kichline.[2] Kichline’s battalion, made up of four companies—two of which […]

by Thomas Verenna

The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on November 11, 2014August 28, 2016

The Twice Captured Lusanna

We often see books which boast of an “unknown story” or “secret history” of an era, and the American Revolution remains ripe fodder for this claim. A quick look on Amazon shows dozens of recently published books, revealing the “untold” story of King’s Mountain, Saratoga, women, prisoners, African Americans, spies, George Washington’s marriage, and a […]

by Will Monk

Arts & Literature Posted on November 10, 2014April 20, 2015

Propaganda Warfare: Benjamin Franklin Fakes a Newspaper

“The Press, Watson, is a most valuable institution, if you only know how to use it,” said the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes.[1] Benjamin Franklin had a lifetime of experience with the Press and knew well how to use it. In the spring of 1782, five months after Yorktown, Franklin was in Paris working on the […]

by Hugh T. Harrington

People Posted on November 6, 2014February 16, 2022

Top 10 Printers

For Americans in the Revolutionary era, newspapers provided a major source of information about events related to the conflict with Great Britain. The people who produced these publications played a key role in getting the news out because they believed it was important for people to know what was happening. They also strongly supported their […]

by Carol Sue Humphrey

Critical Thinking Posted on November 5, 2014April 13, 2015

Drilling Holes in George Washington’s Wooden Teeth Myth

George Washington did not chop down a cherry tree and carve wooden teeth from it. Maybe one of the most enduring myths in American history is that George Washington had wooden teeth. It seems to never go away, generation after generation. Well, not only did the first president not have wooden teeth, you could also […]

by John L. Smith, Jr.

People Posted on November 4, 2014August 28, 2016

Top 5 Foreign Continental Army Officers (Other Than Lafayette)

At the war’s outset, there was a dearth of proven military leadership within the thirteen colonies severely limiting the Continental Army’s ability to engage the British on equal terms. This paucity of military leadership was especially pronounced in the technical aspects of war including engineering, artillery and cavalry. To fill the void, the Continental Congress […]

by Gene Procknow

Techniques & Tech Posted on November 3, 2014August 28, 2016

The First Fight of Ferguson’s Rifle

In the spring of 1777, Washington and the Continental Army were encamped in the Blue Hills, now known as the Watchung Mountains, above the Scotch Plains at Morristown. Gen. Howe and the British army were stationed in New York City, on Staten Island, and at posts throughout New Jersey. The armies’ foraging parties skirmished in […]

by Bob Ruppert

Places Posted on October 29, 2014August 28, 2016

The Incredibly Convoluted History of Westmoreland County, Connecticut

In 1662, Charles II, the restored monarch of Great Britain, issued a charter for the founding of Connecticut. The colony’s borders were delineated as spreading from Narragansett Bay in the east to the “South Sea on the West.” Later the colony of New York took exception to this clause, and the two colonies battled over […]

by Jackson Kuhl

People Posted on October 28, 2014August 28, 2016

Three Brave British Army Wives

Some time ago we saw the story of Mrs. Middleton, the wife of a British soldier, who took several Americans prisoner at the battle of Trois Rivieres in 1776.[1] Mrs. Middleton was one of several thousand wives who accompanied their British soldier husbands to America, or married them in America, and experienced the hardships and […]

by Don N. Hagist

The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on October 27, 2014August 28, 2016

Richard Pearis and the Mobilization of South Carolina’s Backcountry Loyalists

When British Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton began operations against Charleston in March 1780, he decided not to call upon the Loyalists in the South Carolina backcountry to assist him. Although employing Loyalists to aid the regular army was a key element of British strategy in the South, Clinton believed that they would be endangered […]

by Jim Piecuch

Arts & Literature Posted on October 24, 2014August 28, 2016

10 Remarkable Runaway Ads

A frequent discovery when reading 18th Century newspapers is the runaway ads. In an era when people could be owned by or contractually bound to others, individuals who absconded were often advertised by their masters. These ads give us amazing descriptions of individuals and show the society’s remarkable diversity of physical attributes, demographics, personalities, situations […]

by Don N. Hagist

The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on October 23, 2014August 28, 2016

Why Did a Boston Mob Kill a French Officer?

Some twelve years ago, as I was walking along Boston’s Freedom Trail with my family, I noticed an obelisk and monument in the front yard of King’s Chapel. As I peered closer at it, I read the title to the inscription: In Memory of THE CHEVALIER DE SAINT SAUVEUR first Chamberlin of his Royal Highness, […]

by Christian McBurney

The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on October 22, 2014August 28, 2016

The Battle of Millstone

The Battle of Millstone in central New Jersey on 20 January 1777,[1] is a “local interest” battle, the kind that is often known only to locals and specialists, but on closer examination permits greater insight into other facets of the American Revolution. By one account, there were 1,331 military engagements in the war throughout the […]

by Steven M. Richman

Prewar Conflict (<1775) Posted on October 21, 2014August 28, 2016

The Battle of Golden Hill – Six Weeks Before the Boston Massacre

On June 4, 1766, the New York Sons of Liberty gathered in a field, later known as the Commons, to celebrate the birthday of the King and the repeal of the Stamp Act. They erected a large mast with twelve tar barrels at its top and twenty-five cords of wood at its base.[1] The crowd […]

by Bob Ruppert

Reviews Posted on October 20, 2014January 2, 2015

The New Nation: The Creation of the United States in Paintings and Eyewitness Accounts

Book Review: The New Nation: The Creation of the United States in Paintings and Eyewitness Accounts The art of Mort Künstler, text by Edward G. Lengel. Sterling Publishing, 2014, ISBN: 1-4549-0773-8, ISBN13: 9781454907732, 9×10 hardcover, 208 color pages. We learn history through documents, but pictures make it come alive. It is unfortunate that relatively few […]

by Don N. Hagist

People Posted on October 16, 2014August 28, 2016

The Partisan and the Queen’s Ranger

On November 6, 1779, Virginia major Henry Lee, commander of the Continental Army’s 2nd Partisan Corps, addressed a letter to British lieutenant colonel John Graves Simcoe, who eleven days before he had been trying to defeat in battle. “I am happy to hear by your polite reply to an offer dictated by the feelings of […]

by Benjamin Huggins

People Posted on October 15, 2014August 28, 2016

Allen McLane: Case Study in History and Folklore

The best portraits are perhaps those in which there is a slight mixture of caricature; and we are not certain that the best histories are not those in which a little of the exaggeration of fictitious narrative is judiciously employed. Something is lost in accuracy; but much is gained in effect. The fainter lines are […]

by Kim Burdick

People Posted on October 14, 2014August 28, 2016

Billy Flora at the Battle of Great Bridge

Billy Flora was cold. That was not surprising. He was crouched in the lee of a pile of shingles next to a burnt out building in the early hours of December 9, 1775, with a musket in his hands and a rime of ice forming in the marshes of the Great Dismal Swamp that lay […]

by Norman Fuss

Politics During the War (1775-1783) Posted on October 13, 2014August 28, 2016

The Three Documents that brought France into the War

In the spring of 1775, Arthur Lee, the American agent in London, attended a dinner party at the home of John Wilkes, an outspoken supporter of the rebellious American colonies. There Lee met Monsieur de Beaumarchais, the famous French playwright, satirist, and financier who had the ear of King Louis XV and now had the […]

by Bob Ruppert

The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on October 9, 2014August 28, 2016

Anthony Wayne’s 1782 Savannah Campaign

In the minds of many people the surrender at Yorktown in the fall of 1781 brought the Revolutionary War to a close. However, the war in the South was not over. Charleston and Savannah were occupied by the enemy. Physical possession and control of territory would be important in any peace negotiations. In consequence, Major […]

by Hugh T. Harrington

The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on October 8, 2014August 28, 2016

Fanning Outfoxes Marion

When news of Lord Cornwallis’s surrender at Yorktown on October 19, 1781 arrived in southeastern North Carolina well into November, the war there did not end. It did not end even after the British evacuated Wilmington on November 18, leaving local Tories without reliable supplies of ammunition. Instead, as William Ryan, a cavalry man under […]

by Hershel Parker

The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on October 7, 2014August 28, 2016

Three Dates, One Action? The Demarests at New Bridge, 1781

One of the finest sources for anecdotal, first-hand accounts of the Revolution is the U.S. Pension & Bounty Land Applications in the National Archives. They contain vivid snippets of military service, actions, genealogical information, social culture, and many other matters of 18th Century life. They can also be highly confusing and misleading when taken completely […]

by Todd W. Braisted

Reviews Posted on October 6, 2014February 16, 2015

The Return of George Washington 1783-1789

Book Review: The Return of George Washington 1783-1789 by Edward J. Larson. New York: William Morrow, 2014. Hardcover $29.99. ISBN 978-0-06-224867-1. Pp 384. Index, bibliography, illustrations. While mountains of books have been written about George Washington most have covered his wartime or presidential careers. Few have discussed in any depth the period between his remarkable […]

by Hugh T. Harrington

Critical Thinking Posted on October 2, 2014March 20, 2015

The Myth of “Granny Gates”

Earlier this year the AMC network aired a new series, Turn, about the Continental Army’s Culper Spy Ring, based on Alexander Rose’s book, Washington’s Spies. In one episode, the character of Benedict Arnold refers derisively to General Horatio Gates as “Granny Gates.” One might think it was a bit of literary license on behalf of […]

by Will Monk

People Posted on October 1, 2014August 28, 2016

Bartholomew von Heer and the Marechaussee Corps

Washington and the Continental Army spent the winter of 1777-78 at Valley Forge, twenty-five miles northwest of Philadelphia. On November 27, the Continental Congress decided to restructure the Board of War. Up to this point the Board was made up of delegates from the Continental Congress. With only seven members who elected Washington still sitting […]

by Bob Ruppert

People Posted on September 29, 2014January 10, 2021

Victory for the Georgia Refugees

Smallpox raged across the backcountry in the late spring of 1781 and both of the Refugee commanders, Elijah Clarke and James McCall, caught the disease. Clarke was out of action for a month while McCall never returned at all, having died from the disease in March. During his time in bed, Colonel Clarke put plans […]

by Wayne Lynch

Places Posted on September 25, 2014August 28, 2016

The Great West Point Chain

Control of the Hudson River was important strategically during the American Revolution. The river, along with lakes George and Champlain, was a potential invasion route from Canada. It also was a physical separator of the colonies. Men as well as supplies crossed the river. To split off the northern colonies from the South and interrupt […]

by Hugh T. Harrington

The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on September 24, 2014August 28, 2016

Button Gwinnett and Lachlan McIntosh Duel

Born in England in 1735, Button Gwinnett immigrated to Georgia in 1762 just before the Stamp Act Crisis brought political upheaval to the colonies.[1] Within a few years, he was well established and active in political affairs. Unfortunately, financial health did not follow and Gwinnett soon found himself with debts greater than the value of […]

by Wayne Lynch