*** All JAR Articles ***

Who was the biggest oddball of the founders? Why?   Every Founder had his “foibles,” as Washington acknowledged about himself, but Charles Lee was hands down the most eccentric of the bunch. But his eccentricity did not diminish his military talents. He made mistakes (what general didn’t), but at times his presence and leadership were […]

Of all the disputed topics, events, reputations or battles of the Revolution, which is the greatest? Explain.   Militarily, Howe’s failure to pursue Washington’s beleaguered force trapped on the tip of Long Island remains something of a puzzle, despite attempts to reconstruct an answer. On a different note, this question intrigues me. I think we […]

Revolutionary person known for one thing who should be known for something else?   And the winner is Benedict Arnold, almost universally known as one of the greatest traitors of them all while Horatio Gates keeps getting credit as the “hero of Saratoga.” In reality, Arnold was the true hero of Saratoga, if field leadership […]

Which one event of the Revolution is incorrectly interpreted most often? Explain.   The battle of Saratoga. There is a group who are determined to prove Horatio Gates deserves most of the credit. I don’t agree. I have a low opinion of “Granny” Gates. His flight to the rear at Camden (after demonstrating his total […]

Which American Revolution book do you refer to most often (not to be confused with “favorite book”)? Why?   The single volume that I access most often is Mark M. Boatner’s Encyclopedia of the American Revolution.  In it, I can generally find something about almost any topic pertaining to the American Revolution that either answers […]