*** All JAR Articles ***

The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on June 5, 2014August 28, 2016

Wrecked in a Thousand Pieces:
Loss of Martha

When the Maryland Loyalists, a Provincial regiment, marched out of Philadelphia along with the rest of the British Army in June 1778, it mustered 370 officers and men, second in size only to the Queen’s Rangers amongst the Loyalist units leaving the city.[1] Five years later, after campaigns primarily against the Spanish forces invading West […]

by Todd W. Braisted

People Posted on June 4, 2014August 28, 2016

The Talented Major Tallmadge

Benjamin Tallmadge is currently enjoying a burst of posthumous fame. Most of the attention given him in recent publications and the AMC series Turn centers around his intelligence activities, a logical choice considering his organization of the Culper Ring and pivotal role in exploding the Arnold plot. But the attention paid to the espionage part […]

by Richard F. Welch

People Posted on June 3, 2014August 28, 2016

Under his Vine and Fig Tree

They shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid. Micah 4:4 Out at Flushing Landing on Long Island in late 1769, until at least 1779 (apparently little affected by the intervening British invasion of 1776), William Prince advertised for sale “many Thousands of a nice […]

by Gary Shattuck

News Posted on May 30, 2014August 28, 2016

The Groton Riots of 1781

On Tuesday, October 9, 1781, at 5:00 that afternoon, as an American flag unfurled over Grand Battery 13A at Yorktown, George Washington personally set light to an eighteen-pounder announcing to Charles Cornwallis that his end was not far off. As the hurtling ball spent itself, it left behind a wake of devastation killing the British […]

by Gary Shattuck

Reviews Posted on May 28, 2014January 2, 2015

The First American Declaration of Independence? The Disputed History of the Mecklenburg Declaration of May 20, 1775

Book Review: The First American Declaration of Independence? The Disputed History of the Mecklenburg Declaration of May 20, 1775 By Scott Syfert. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2014. Paperback. $35.00. ISBN 978-0-7864-7559-9. Pp. x, 250. Index, bibliography, maps and illustrations. For more than two centuries, controversy has surrounded the issue of whether or not a group of […]

by Jim Piecuch

Places Posted on May 27, 2014August 28, 2016

For Sale: West Point (Part 2 of 2)

Benedict Arnold and John André met after midnight on September 22, 1780 to conclude the selling and taking possession of West Point. André, having been picked up from the fourteen-gun British sloop, the Vulture, by two oarsmen, finally met his co-conspirator on a wooded slope south of today’s Haverstraw. Based on Sir Henry Clinton’s readiness […]

by Steven Paul Mark

Beyond the Classroom Posted on May 23, 2014May 22, 2014

Stay Tuned…

Journal of the American Revolution will be taking a four-day Memorial Day holiday and will return to our regularly scheduled programming on Tuesday, May 27. Join us then for the exciting conclusion of Stephen Paul Mark’s “For Sale: West Point.” In the meantime, to help satisfy your craving for American Revolution content, here are several […]

by Editors

Places Posted on May 22, 2014August 28, 2016

For Sale: West Point (Part 1 of 2)

The story of General Benedict Arnold and Major John André takes about a minute to convey in a high school classroom. The real story, however, is worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster with all the essential elements: heroes and villains, supporting roles, intrigue, greed, lust for glory, betrayal, danger, close shaves and a nation in peril. […]

by Steven Paul Mark

People Posted on May 21, 2014August 28, 2016

How Old Were Redcoats? Age and Experience of British Soldiers in America

It seems that almost every author who mentions British soldiers in their discussion of the American Revolution includes adjectives like “young” and “inexperienced” without any basis for those descriptors. They apparently take for granted that soldiers were young, and soldiers sent to fight in America were inexperienced. Neither of these generalities is true. Sure, there […]

by Don N. Hagist

The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on May 20, 2014August 28, 2016

Massacre Averted: How two British Soldiers saved 350 American Lives

In the early morning hours of September 28, 1778, British Troops under Major General Charles Grey surprised and decimated an entire regiment of Continental cavalry commanded by Colonel George Baylor. Over twenty were killed, more than forty captured, and many others wounded. Their major lay dead, and their colonel nearly so. And it could have […]

by Todd W. Braisted

People Posted on May 19, 2014August 28, 2016

Abraham Woodhull: The Spy Named Samuel Culper

Abraham Woodhull, spy for General George Washington, nearly got himself hanged on one of his first missions. It was in October 1778, when Woodhull toured British-held New York City and its environs, observing Crown military activities. At one point he neared an encampment of Loyalist soldiers commanded by General William Tryon. Woodhull was probably preparing […]

by Michael Schellhammer

Postwar Politics (>1783) Posted on May 16, 2014August 28, 2016

Presentation Swords for 10 Revolutionary War Heroes

While researching my book Kidnapping the Enemy: The Special Operations to Capture Generals Charles Lee and Richard Prescott (Westholme, 2014), I was thrilled to learn that the Continental Congress had passed a resolution directing that an “elegant sword” be awarded to Lieutenant Colonel William Barton for planning and executing the spectacular cross-bay raid that led to […]

by Christian McBurney

Places Posted on May 15, 2014December 22, 2014

Planning the Final Action: George Washington and Rochambeau, May 1781

After the Americans’ stunning victory at Saratoga on October 17, 1777, King Louis XVI ordered his ministers to negotiate a formal alliance between France and the United States. Conrad Alexander Gérard of France and Benjamin Franklin, Silas Deane, and Arthur Lee of the United States negotiated the terms of the Franco-American alliance in the Treaty […]

by Elizabeth M. Covart

News Posted on May 14, 2014October 24, 2014

Journal of the American Revolution and Westholme Publishing Announce Publication Partnership

Annual Volumes of the Latest American Revolution Research and Perspective Expected Every May Beginning in 2015 YARDLEY, Pennsylvania (May 14, 2014) – The popular online history magazine Journal of the American Revolution and acclaimed nonfiction publisher Westholme Publishing, LLC have joined forces to publish annual hardcover volumes with the inaugural book slated for May 2015 […]

by Editors

The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on May 13, 2014August 28, 2016

The 25 Deadliest Battles of the Revolutionary War

Name calling, fearing mongering and demonizing the enemy were all on the propaganda menu during the American Revolution. Once hostilities commenced, another game played a significant role in the war for mind control. A game of numbers. Simply inflating the size of your enemy’s forces on paper and deflating your own helped to magnify victory […]

by Todd Andrlik

125

People Posted on May 12, 2014August 28, 2016

Ireland and the American Revolution

There is no coincidence in the date that I sat down to write this article. Monday March 17th 2014 – St Patrick’s Day. Two years ago, I was in the middle of New York City to witness first-hand my first St Patrick’s Day in the United States. Perhaps it was my rural upbringing that made […]

by Matthew P. Dziennik

People Posted on May 9, 2014August 28, 2016

The Arrest of Georgia’s Royal Governor Sir James Wright

On the chilly evening of January 18, 1776, Georgia’s royal governor, Sir James Wright, summoned Rebel leaders Joseph Clay and Noble Wimberly Jones to his home – on the corner of modern-day Telfair Square in Savannah – to discuss the recent arrival of a British fleet off the coast near Tybee Island. He informed them […]

by Greg Brooking

Critical Thinking Posted on May 8, 2014December 4, 2014

Tracking Down a Musket-Toting Woman

Ray Raphael just described how an Advanced Placement exam in U.S. History asked students to analyze what this image of a musket-toting woman said about the Revolutionary War. The picture appeared on an undated broadside commenting on the war with a poem titled “A New Touch on the Times” by a “Daughter of Liberty, living […]

by J. L. Bell

Critical Thinking Posted on May 7, 2014April 13, 2014

Marblehead Woman

In education circles, document-based learning is all the rage. The idea is to present a historical document, ask students to examine it closely, then pose some questions. These DBQs, as they are affectionately called, are expected to introduce young people to the process of historical inquiry. How sweet it would be, but it’s not that […]

by Ray Raphael

The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on May 6, 2014August 28, 2016

Guiding Washington to Trenton

Washington’s desperate situation in December 1776 and the critical victories at Trenton and Princeton have been described often and in great detail. His lack of support from the New Jersey militia is often highlighted, along with the fact that the few militiamen who turned out did not cross to Trenton on Christmas night due to […]

by Larry Kidder

Critical Thinking Posted on May 5, 2014August 28, 2016

Seth Warner or Ethan Allen: Who Led the Green Mountain Boys?

The legendary stories of Ethan Allen and Vermont’s Green Mountain Boys have long been part of American folklore. Their heroically described exploits are fabled in many fictional accounts and children’s books.[1] Allen’s name is synonymously linked with the Green Mountain Boys as if he was their sole leader. However, while Allen receives the fame, there […]

by Gene Procknow

The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on May 2, 2014August 28, 2016

The Fate of the Royal Savage

In the summer of 1775, the British built two warships at St. John, Quebec, on the outlet of Lake Champlain. That fall, the American forces invading Canada captured the ships and added them to their little fleet on the lake. The largest, a 50-foot topsail schooner named the Royal Savage mounting six 6-pounder cannons, four […]

by Michael Barbieri

Critical Thinking Posted on May 1, 2014August 28, 2016

Unlucky or Inept? Gates at Camden

At the battle of Camden in August of 1780, Lord Cornwallis dealt the Americans under General Horatio Gates a shocking defeat. Also known as the Hero of Saratoga, General Gates had recently proven a serious competitor to George Washington’s command of the Continental Army. Because of the debate over command, the defeat drew all sorts […]

by Wayne Lynch

News Posted on April 30, 2014August 28, 2016

Francis Marion Meets His Match: Benjamin Thompson Defeats the “Swamp Fox”

During 1780 and 1781, Brigadier General Francis Marion earned a reputation as the “Swamp Fox,” a virtually unbeatable partisan commander who foiled British efforts to pacify South Carolina and who defeated or evaded every British attempt to destroy his force. It was not until 1782 that Marion finally encountered an opponent capable of beating his […]

by Jim Piecuch

Advertising Posted on April 28, 2014

New York’s Mohawk Valley Region-America’s First Frontier

The path of America’s struggle for Independence was heavily traversed through the beautiful vistas, pasture land, and streams of the Mohawk Valley Region. Nearly 300 battles were fought during the American Revolution, and almost 100 of these contests were fought on New York soil. At MohawkValleyHistory.com you can explore Central New York’s rich history and […]

by Advertising

People Posted on April 28, 2014August 28, 2016

Captain Lee’s Genius

Captain Henry Lee III’s promotion to Major in April, 1778, capped a year of impressive service for the 22 year old cavalry officer from Virginia. Lee and the rest of Colonel Theodorick Bland’s 1st Continental Dragoon Regiment had joined General Washington’s army in New Jersey fifteen months earlier. As commander of a troop of cavalry […]

by Michael Cecere

Reviews Posted on April 25, 2014January 2, 2015

Book of Ages: The Life and Opinions of
Jane Franklin

Book Review: Book of Ages: The Life and Opinions of Jane Franklin by Jill Lepore. Knopf, 464 pp., Hardcover $27.95|Paperback $16.95|eBook $13.99 “One Half of the World does not know how the Other Half lives,” wrote Benjamin Franklin in his popular Poor Richard’s Almanack. It is a phrase that is open to many interpretations. Jacob […]

by Jim Blackburn

Techniques & Tech Posted on April 24, 2014August 28, 2016

A Want of Arms in Pennsylvania

Remember when I wrote that nobody ever said life on the Pennsylvania frontier was easy?[1] Well, as it turns out, it was a lot more difficult than even I previously thought. Between battling it out with Connecticut Yankees and Indians, dealing with localized violence, and having to put up with a relatively untrained and undisciplined […]

by Thomas Verenna

People Posted on April 23, 2014August 28, 2016

Washington’s Belated Admission

“This is a most unfortunate affair and has given me great Mortification as we have lost not only two thousand Men that were there, but a good deal of Artillery, & some of the best Arms we had.” So wrote General George Washington to his brother John Augustine Washington in November 1776.[1] The fall of […]

by Benjamin Huggins

Critical Thinking Posted on April 22, 2014August 28, 2016

You Say Huzzah!
They Said Huzzay!

Go to any Revolutionary War period living history program or reenactment and you hear it again and again. “Huzzah for Great Washington and the Continental Congress!” “Huzzah for good King George and Parliament!” Huzzah this and Huzzah that all day. If our forefathers could come back to one of these events, they would be mightily […]

by Norman Fuss

Critical Thinking Posted on April 21, 2014August 28, 2016

Did Paul Revere’s Ride Really Matter?

The biggest myth of Paul Revere’s ride may not be that Revere watched for the lantern signal from the North Church spire, as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem described. Nor that he was a lone rider carrying Dr. Joseph Warren’s warning all the way from Boston to Concord. Nor even that Revere yelled, “The British are […]

by J. L. Bell

Critical Thinking Posted on April 18, 2014April 17, 2014

Paul Revere’s Other Rides

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 […]

by Ray Raphael

Places Posted on April 17, 2014August 4, 2014

Valcour Island Redux

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 […]

by Michael Barbieri

Critical Thinking Posted on April 16, 2014August 28, 2016

Who Shot First? The Americans!

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 […]

by Derek W. Beck

The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on April 15, 2014August 28, 2016

“Cursedly Thrashed”: The Battle of Harlem Heights

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 […]

by Joshua Shepherd

People Posted on April 14, 2014January 23, 2023

How Lund Washington Saved Mount Vernon

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 […]