*** All JAR Articles ***

The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on December 17, 2013August 28, 2016

Raid Across the Ice: the British Operation to Capture Washington

In early February 1780, General George Washington’s main army was encamped at Jockey Hollow, New Jersey. But the general maintained his headquarters about three miles away in Morristown, at the house of the widow Theodosia Ford. That separation enticed the British high command into undertaking an operation that, if successful, would cripple the Continental Army […]

by Benjamin Huggins

Prewar Conflict (<1775) Posted on December 16, 2013August 28, 2016

They Destroy’d the Tea!

On 6 December 1773, Lt. Col. Alexander Leslie of the 64th Regiment of Foot wrote a letter to the highest ranking official in the British army, Lord Viscount Barrington, the Secretary at War. It may seem unusual for an officer of Leslie’s rank to write directly to an officer subordinate only to the King, but […]

by Don N. Hagist

Prewar Conflict (<1775) Posted on December 13, 2013August 28, 2016

5 Myths of Tarring and Feathering

1. Myth: Tarring and feathering could be fatal. Busted: The notion that hot tar caused severe, sometimes fatal burns is based on the assumption that “tar” meant the asphalt we use on roads, which is typically stored in liquid state at about 300°F (150°C). But in the eighteenth century “tar” meant pine tar, used for […]

by J. L. Bell

Arts & Literature Posted on December 12, 2013August 28, 2016

Congress Bans Theatre!

As a near-life-long New York resident and “struggling actor,” it is always a pleasure to see the ever-present throngs of theatre-goers throughout the City. Theatre has for well over a century been recognized as an American art form, especially the musicals that so dominate Broadway. Yet while common today, the theatre had a far different, […]

by David Malinsky

Arts & Literature Posted on December 11, 2013August 28, 2016

George Washington’s Favorite Play

Thanks to the porous state of the British lines around Philadelphia and the industry of General Washington’s secret agents, there is little doubt that American officers at Valley Forge were aware of the dramas that a British Army theater company known as Howe’s Strolling Players presented at the Southwark Theater during 1777-78. The Americans considered […]

by Thomas Fleming

Prewar Politics (<1775) Posted on December 10, 2013August 28, 2016

Virginia on the Eve of Revolution

Parliament’s passage of the 1765 Stamp Act is rightly viewed by many as a key moment in the American Revolution. This new “internal” tax, which the British parliament adopted so that the American colonists would pay their “fair share” of Great Britain’s massive French and Indian War debt, (and also contribute to ongoing military expenses), […]

by Michael Cecere

People Posted on December 9, 2013August 28, 2016

John Houstoun and the 1778 Expedition to East Florida

At the time of the revolution, John Houstoun was one of four brothers from a prominent plantation owning family in Georgia. Unlike Patrick and George, younger brothers John and James were both patriots from the late 1760s when they were educated in Charleston, South Carolina’s highly charged political atmosphere. On his return to Georgia, John […]

by Wayne Lynch

Arts & Literature Posted on December 6, 2013August 28, 2016

A Short History of “Yankee Doodle”

The first version of “Yankee Doodle” seems to have been written by a British army physician, Dr. Richard Schuckberg, during the French and Indian War. It was a satiric look at New England’s Yankees. Brother Ephraim sold his cow And bought him a commission And then he went to Canada To fight for the nation; […]

by Thomas Fleming

The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on December 5, 2013August 28, 2016

Murder of a Declaration Signer (Part 2)

THE TRIAL THAT GRIPPED THE NEW NATION The Grand Jury in Richmond determined that there was ample evidence of George Wythe Sweeney’s guilt. Virginia attorney general Philip Norborne Nicholas would be prosecuting the murder trial against Sweeney. The talented 31-year old prosecutor was the product of a highly influential family in Virginia who helped to […]

by John L. Smith, Jr.

The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on December 4, 2013August 28, 2016

Murder of a Declaration Signer (Part 1)

George Wythe was about the last person anybody would ever want to murder. At age 80, Wythe was an exceedingly kind and generous man who could be seen ambling down the streets of Richmond, Virginia in that year of 1806. The townspeople loved him, “His countenance was exceedingly benevolent and cheerful …”[1] and “He moved […]

by John L. Smith, Jr.

People Posted on December 3, 2013August 28, 2016

Richard Winn at Fort McIntosh

In the autumn of 1776 loyalists from East Florida under Thomas “Burntfoot” Brown and Daniel McGirth frequently raided the southern parishes of Georgia keeping its citizens in constant disarray and disrupting rice and cattle production. The very thin population in the area made defense a difficult proposition. Trying to stop the raids and protect the […]

by Wayne Lynch

People Posted on December 2, 2013August 28, 2016

Charles Lee: Gift of Controversy

Until the capture of Lieutenant General Jonathan Wainwright in World War II, the highest-ranking American generals taken prisoner were Major Generals Benjamin Lincoln and Charles Lee. Lincoln was taken when his army was forced to surrender at Charleston in 1780 but the enigmatic, eccentric Lee was ignominiously kidnapped when he failed to billet himself within […]

by Jeff Dacus

News Posted on December 1, 2013August 28, 2016

The Spirit of the Coffee

All of that great eating on Thanksgiving Day sometimes has natural consequences that lead us to seek entirely different recipes for Friday. If we’ve time-traveled to the mid 18th century and are relying on published cookbooks for information, we’re in luck: most books containing recipes were not strictly cookbooks in the sense that we know […]

by Don N. Hagist

Arts & Literature Posted on November 28, 2013December 1, 2013

Thanksgiving in 1775, 1777 and 1779

While the modern, formalized definition of Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday in November was not set as a national observance until the time of the Civil War, and wasn’t codified into law until 1941, governors of the various states (and before the Revolution, colonies) proclaimed harvest Thanksgivings each year, so our food traditions around this […]

by Lars D. H. Hedbor

Food & Lifestyle Posted on November 27, 2013November 27, 2013

Dessert: Send it to Table

What to serve for desert after a Thanksgiving meal? Pumpkin pie, obviously. Unfortunately for the revolutionary-era aspiring chef in America, pumpkins are plentiful but pie-making recipes using them have yet to be published. Indeed, one of the most widely-printed British cookbooks said that “The Pumpkin is a very ordinary Fruit, and is principally the Food […]

by Don N. Hagist

Food & Lifestyle Posted on November 26, 2013November 26, 2013

Side Dishes: Serve it Up

Yesterday we saw how to roast a turkey according to a popular 18th century cookbook. It wouldn’t be a Thanksgiving dinner without turkey, but it also wouldn’t be a Thanksgiving dinner without an assortment of tasty dishes to go with that luscious bird. This is where preparing the meal in accordance with published period recipes […]

by Don N. Hagist

Food & Lifestyle Posted on November 25, 2013November 25, 2013

Your Meat: Done Sooner or Later

It’s the time of year when Americans are musing over favorite recipes for Thanksgiving meals. Everyone has a favorite dish and there are countless family traditions, but the undisputed king of the holiday table is the turkey. This tasty fowl is also a cook’s challenge, because whole turkeys are seldom served in the home at […]

by Don N. Hagist

People Posted on November 22, 2013August 28, 2016

Caesar Rodney: An American Character

Signers of the Declaration of Independence are treated with particular reverence in American historical memory. Caesar Rodney, Delaware’s delegate to the Second Continental Congress, is no exception. He is remembered not just for his signature, but also his vote for independence and the mad dash he made to Philadelphia in time to cast it. His […]

by Janice Hume

Critical Thinking Posted on November 21, 2013August 28, 2016

The Daring Departure of Lafayette

Dear Mr. History: I’ve read that before he became a hero in the Continental Army, Lafayette departed France in defiance of orders from King Louis XVI and only a few steps ahead of the law. Can this be true? Sincerely, Francophile. Dear Franco: Mais oui, it’s true; Lafayette’s departure from France involved more twists and […]

by Michael Schellhammer

Advertising Posted on November 20, 2013February 3, 2014

The Must-attend AmRev Conference of 2014

The must-attend American Revolution conference of 2014 is being hosted by America’s History, LLC, one of the nation’s leading history tour and conference companies. The conference will take place the weekend of March 21-23, 2014, at the Colonial Williamsburg Woodlands Hotel in Williamsburg, Virginia. Friday, March 21 (7 pm) – Sunday, March 23 (Noon)Colonial Williamsburg […]

by Advertising

The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on November 20, 2013August 28, 2016

Too Little, Too Late: Battle of the Hudson Highlands

On late summer days, sailboats of all sizes dot the Hudson River like so many white specks against a blue-gray background. But when the changeable weather of October arrives the river can become an unpredictable waterway, covered in mist or heavy fog. In the Hudson Highlands, a majestic series of mountains beginning about a third […]

by Steven Paul Mark

News Posted on November 19, 2013August 28, 2016

Revolutionary War History Geek Gift Guide 2013

With the 2013 holiday season upon us, it’s important that we take special care of those Revolutionary War history geeks in our lives. All too often they get nothing more than gift cards or Civil War books. This year, give the 18th century lover on your list a gift that says “I know the American […]

by Editors

People Posted on November 18, 2013August 28, 2016

Nathanael Greene as Quartermaster General

Midway through his two and a half year tour of duty as Quartermaster General of Washington’s army, Nathanael Greene wrote to George Washington: “No body ever heard of a quarter Master in History as such or in relateing any brilliant Action.” A later commander, Erwin Rommel, took a different view. He wrote: “The first essential […]

by Curtis F. Morgan, Jr.

Critical Thinking Posted on November 15, 2013August 28, 2016

Birth of the “Caucus”

America’s Revolutionary decades produced a new republican system, and with it new republican language. One term that surfaced early in that period and remains with us today is “caucus.” The word’s origin is mysterious, but its meaning has stayed fairly steady and the earliest uses offer a good glimpse into pre-Revolutionary politics. The first form […]

by J. L. Bell

People Posted on November 14, 2013August 28, 2016

Arnold in Command at Bemis Heights?

Stripped of command and left in camp to drink his sorrows away, Benedict Arnold fumed and ranted in frustration until his aggressive nature took over and caused the deposed general to ride his horse onto the field of battle just in time to lead the final assault against Burgoyne’s redoubts and seal the British fate […]

by Wayne Lynch

People Posted on November 13, 2013August 28, 2016

Before Washington: The Revolution’s First Commander-in-Chief

On June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress officially announced the creation of the Continental Army, a military force representing all of the colonies resisting British authority in North America. The following day the Congress named the army’s commander. George Washington, a planter and Congressional delegate from Virginia, would become the commander-in-chief, taking command of […]

by Editors

Prewar Conflict (<1775) Posted on November 12, 2013August 28, 2016

7 Myths about the Boston Tea Party

1. MYTH: The Tea Act imposed a tax on American colonists (which is why tax protestors often revere the Boston Tea Party). BUSTED: The Tea Act did no such thing; instead the actual law gave the East India Company a tax break on tea shipped to the American colonies, along with special new privileges for […]

by Benjamin L. Carp

Food & Lifestyle Posted on November 11, 2013August 28, 2016

Top 10 Marriages Gone Bad

Every now and then I meet someone who thinks that people “back then” were all highly religious and led straight-laced, pious lives. Those people haven’t read newspapers of the era. Legal notices appeared frequently in which husbands and wives absolved themselves of responsibility for the debts and dissipations of spouses who’d abandoned them. Sometimes competing […]

by Don N. Hagist

Food & Lifestyle Posted on November 8, 2013November 8, 2013

Baked Beans and Johnnycake

Although many immigrants to the American colonies enjoyed a richer and more varied diet than they had in their home countries, as evidenced by the relative height of European-born and American-born men[i], across much of inland New England, with trade disrupted by the Crown’s blockades and other military action of the Revolution, the most reliable […]

by Lars D. H. Hedbor

Places Posted on November 7, 2013November 7, 2013

Burr Mansion: A Love Story

In April 1775 the Fairfield, Connecticut, mansion of the Honorable Thaddeus and Eunice Burr was a-bustle. Preparations were being made to welcome a contingent of key patriots: John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Lydia Hancock and Dorothy Quincy. Word had reached Burr (who was High Sheriff of the County), Colonel Gold Selleck Silliman (he hadn’t yet been […]

by Cathryn J. Prince

People Posted on November 6, 2013August 28, 2016

Blood and Bandages: British Army Wives as Nurses

As a young woman in Somerset in 1773 you married that handsome weaver from a neighboring parish, but now it’s two years later and a war has begun across the ocean and your husband has just come home from the nearby market town and announced that he’s enlisted in the army. You’re impressed with the […]

by Editors

People Posted on November 5, 2013August 28, 2016

Ethan Allen: Patriot, Land Promoter or Turncoat?

The Controversy In the region we call Vermont today land claims were vociferously contested between settlers from New York and from New Hampshire during the American Revolution. Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys who aggressively protected their perceived property rights were ringleaders of the New Hampshire claimants. The New Yorkers were equally forceful in […]

by Gene Procknow

News Posted on November 4, 2013October 24, 2014

New Book Sets Benchmark for Style, Substance

New History Book Loaded with Fascinating Discoveries, Expert Analysis on American Revolution; The Revolutionary War is Remarkably Presented in this Compilation of 60 Essays by 20 Historians We are treating today as our official launch day with books immediately available via the publisher’s website and via the publisher’s Amazon marketplace. Those who buy direct from […]

by Editors

Places Posted on November 2, 2013April 5, 2015

RevWar Schmoozer Boston: Nov. 8, 2013

Mark your calendars! The RevWar Schmoozer (Boston) event is confirmed for Friday, November 8, upstairs at The Point (147 Hanover St.) from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. The space is reserved exclusively for this event. Join fellow history professionals and amateurs for a fun evening of sipping, schmoozing and storytelling. Historians, authors, museum execs, publishers, literary […]

by Editors

People Posted on November 1, 2013August 28, 2016

The Whale-boat Men of Long Island Sound

When the Continental Congress first commissioned the use of private ships and boats of war in April 1776, they specified that each vessel’s commander had to deliver a bond payable to the president of the Congress before the privateering commission — called a letter of marque and reprisal — could be granted. These bonds were […]

by Jackson Kuhl

News Posted on October 31, 2013August 28, 2016

“Congress Does Not Trust Me. I Cannot Continue Thus.”

“Congress Does Not Trust Me. I Cannot Continue Thus.” These are two of the most important sentences George Washington ever spoke. Almost instantly they destroyed a plot aimed at ruining his reputation and forcing him into humiliated retirement. At least as important, the words marked the big Virginian’s emergence as a political leader with talents […]

by Editors

Politics During the War (1775-1783) Posted on October 29, 2013August 28, 2016

On His Majesty’s Secret Service

Edward Bancroft habitually worked late into the evenings on Tuesday. This evening he was finishing a letter to his new mistress and arranging a liaison. Finishing his letter, he rolled it up as was his custom and slid it into his coat pocket. Later that evening after a short carriage ride, he entered the Tuileries […]

by Jimmy Dick

Raid Across the Ice: the British Operation to Capture Washington

They Destroy’d the Tea!

5 Myths of Tarring and Feathering

Congress Bans Theatre!

George Washington’s Favorite Play

Virginia on the Eve of Revolution

John Houstoun and the 1778 Expedition to East Florida

A Short History of “Yankee Doodle”

Murder of a Declaration Signer (Part 2)

Murder of a Declaration Signer (Part 1)

Richard Winn at Fort McIntosh

Charles Lee: Gift of Controversy

Top 10 Most Popular Articles of November 2013

The Spirit of the Coffee

Thanksgiving in 1775, 1777 and 1779

Dessert: Send it to Table

Side Dishes: Serve it Up

Your Meat: Done Sooner or Later

Caesar Rodney: An American Character

The Daring Departure of Lafayette

The Must-attend AmRev Conference of 2014

Too Little, Too Late: Battle of the Hudson Highlands

Revolutionary War History Geek Gift Guide 2013

Nathanael Greene as Quartermaster General

Birth of the “Caucus”

Arnold in Command at Bemis Heights?

Before Washington: The Revolution’s First Commander-in-Chief

7 Myths about the Boston Tea Party

Top 10 Marriages Gone Bad

Baked Beans and Johnnycake

Burr Mansion: A Love Story

Blood and Bandages: British Army Wives as Nurses

Ethan Allen: Patriot, Land Promoter or Turncoat?

New Book Sets Benchmark for Style, Substance

RevWar Schmoozer Boston: Nov. 8, 2013

The Whale-boat Men of Long Island Sound

Top 10 Most Popular Articles in October 2013

“Congress Does Not Trust Me. I Cannot Continue Thus.”

On His Majesty’s Secret Service