*** All JAR Articles ***

Propaganda was important during the Revolution.  What is your favorite propaganda item? Why?   My favorite is Tom Paine’s “These are the times that try men’s souls.”  It’s infinitely better than his Common Sense, the last third of which, with its blabber about the British being easy to defeat, should be subtitled Common Nonsense. –Thomas […]

Favorite RevWar site (battlefield, home, museum, etc.) to visit today? Why?   My favorite site is Yorktown. There’s enough still there to give you a sense of stepping back in time. You can see the French ships in the bay. Second is Bunker Hill. That takes more imagination but it’s still  worth a visit. –Thomas […]

Most important diplomatic action of the war? Why?   The most important diplomatic action of the war was signing the treaty of alliance with  France. Without it America would have collapsed in 1778 or 79. The treaty created a whole new war. –Thomas Fleming   The most important was Benjamin Franklin’s successful scheme that brought […]

Aside from John and Abigail, what was the best husband-wife duo of the Revolution? Why?   The best husband wife team–better than John and Abigail in my opinion–was George and  Martha. We don’t have much in the way of detail about their relationship because Martha burned all their correspondence after Washington died. But we have […]

Greatest consequence of the American Revolution?   The greatest consequence of the Revolution is the way the Declaration of Independence spread around the globe. Eventually it spawned over 200 similar declarations. –Thomas Fleming   The creation of an independent American empire (George Washington’s descriptive) was the most important although I believe it was inevitable due […]