Author: Editors

Outside of the big four (Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Charleston), which city was most critical to the success of the Revolution? Why?   Newport. British land and naval forces garrisoned in the rebellious nation’s fifth largest city for four years. Although the Continental Army failed to dislodge them in 1778, Newport served no great […]

What impact did British involvement elsewhere in the world have on operations in North America? Explain.   As brilliantly told in Andrew Jackson O’Shaughnessy’s Men Who Lost America, in February 1781 Rodney sacked St. Eustatius, a Dutch-held Caribbean island that served as a major trading port for the shipment of arms and munitions to the […]

A lot has been written about the greatest writers and orators of the Revolution, but effective communication also requires good listening. Who was the best listener during the Revolution and what demonstrates or supports your selection?   I’d give Henry Knox the prize for best listener. He seldom took the lead in discussions when he […]

During the protracted conflict, nations, colonies, committees and individuals had several opportunities to learn from their mistakes. In your opinion, what is the best example of a person or people learning from a mistake early in the Revolution, and applying the lesson learned later on?   Gen. George Washington spent over two years of the […]

Which Revolutionary artifact do you wish was mistakenly delivered to your doorstep rather than the curator of a museum?   Washington’s draft of The Farewell Address. As I tell the story in my new book, The Great Divide, the newspaper editor who printed said he liked it so much, he felt regret at returning it. […]

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 […]

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 […]