Author: Editors

Journal of the American Revolution (allthingsliberty.com) is a free online magazine with simple goals: Make serious history more palatable to a general audience and provide readers with fun, educational and interesting content. A business casual approach, if you will. Since our launch in January 2013, we have published hundreds of articles by dozen historians and experts.

Arts & Literature Posted on

2018 Journal of the American Revolution Book of the Year Award Announced

The Journal of the American Revolution today announced The Indian World of George Washington: The First President, the First Americans, and the Birth of the Nation by Colin G. Calloway (Oxford University Press) as winner of the 2018 Journal of the American Revolution Book of the Year Award. Honorable mention was awarded to Frontier Rebels: The Fight […]

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Features Posted on

Recent JAR News

The Journal of the American Revolution reaches a wide audience and is regularly cited on other web sites, in scholarly books and articles, newspapers, and in social media. We are all making a difference toward a greater understanding and appreciation of our founding era. We thought our readers would appreciate some of the recent news about […]

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Audiovisual Posted on

What is the best audiovisual material to teach students about the American Revolution or Founding Era?

One of our readers, an educator, asked the JAR editors a question that we chose to put before our contributors: What is the best audiovisual material for use in the classroom to teach K-12 students about the American Revolution or the Founding Era (approximately 1765–1805)? Geoff Smock The only real choice for this is the […]

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Help Save the Spitfire

Our article about Edward Wigglesworth’s diary has brought a lot of attention to the Spitfire gunboat, a well-preserved Revolutionary War warship that is in danger of destruction by ecological changes. Readers of the journal have asked how they can help. The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum is on the case, and while there are no guarantees of what will […]

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Contributor Close-up: Eric Sterner

Eric Sterner is a writer and historian living in Northern Virginia, who has worked primarily in the fields of national security and aerospace policy for both the government and private sector.  He served at the Department of Defense and NASA during the Bush Administration and held senior staff positions for the Committee on Science and […]

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New Additions to the JAR Team

Managing Editor Don N. Hagist is pleased to announce two new additions to the Journal of the American Revolution’s editorial team. Adrian Rutt, who most recently contributed a review of Justifying Revolution, provides his expertise in copy editing and academic publishing to ensure that JAR articles meet the journal’s overall editorial standards. In addition, Adrian will weigh in […]

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Happy Fourth of July! . . . and a Question

For something special this Independence Day, we asked JAR contributors a simple but thought-provoking question. Their answers are insightful and remind us of the broad range of people and events that transformed thirteen British colonies into the United States of America. How would you answer this question: If there was another national holiday, in addition […]

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The 2018 Annual Volume is In!

Our fourth annual volume of the Journal of the American Revolution is available for immediate purchase. Featuring some of the best historical research and writing from the previous year, this annual volume contains thirty-eight articles, including “The Setauket Raid, December 1777” by Phillip R. Giffin, “The 3rd New Jersey Regiment’s Plundering of Johnson Hall” by […]

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Conflict & War Posted on

Fiddlers Who Deserted

Drums, fifes, and bands provided martial music ranging from battlefield signals to ceremonious pomp. The drummers, fifers, and musicians might also provide casual entertainment for their comrades, but some soldiers played other instruments. The most common non-military instrument to appear in deserter advertisements was the fiddle (or violin); it was the most common among non-military […]

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Conflict & War Posted on

Musicians Who Deserted

There were drummers, there were fifers, and then there were men who had general musical talent, capable of playing several instruments. Many British, American and German regiments, and other military organizations, had bands of music. These bands, which might consist of six to twelve men, were separate entities from the regiment’s drummers and fifers. In […]

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Conflict & War Posted on

Fifers Who Deserted

Fifes provided a melodic complement to the drums that provided cadence and conveyed signals to armies in the American Revolution. Like drummers, fifers were not always boys; some men spent their entire military careers playing the fife, showing the importance to the army of that skill. Fifers were not as numerous as drummers in most […]

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Conflict & War Posted on

Drummers Who Deserted

Primary sources are essential for the best historical scholarship and writing. This week we will be examining advertisements for deserters who played instruments in the armed forces during the American Revolution. Every army and navy involved in the American Revolution used drums for signaling, and the image of the drummer boy is among the conflict’s […]

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Contributor Close-up: Patrick H. Hannum

About Patrick H. Hannum Patrick H. Hannum is currently serving as an associate professor in the Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Joint Forces Staff College, National Defense University, Norfolk, Virginia where he specializes in operational-level warfare and Phase II Joint Professional Military Education. He completed twenty-nine years of active service in the United States Marine […]

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Reviews Posted on

Two Recent Reviews of Titles from the Journal of the American Revolution Books Series

Two outstanding reviews of titles in the Journal of the American Revolution Books Series were recently published. In the Spring 2018 issue of Army History (https://history.army.mil/armyhistory/AH-Magazine/2018AH_spring/index.html), historian Gregory J. W. Urwin reviewed The Road to Concord: How Four Stolen Cannon Ignited the Revolutionary War by J. L. Bell. Prof. Urwin writes, “J. L. Bell’s The Road to […]

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Culture Posted on

Happy Birthday, George Washington!

Today, February 22, 2018, is George Washington’s 286th birthday. We asked some of our editors and contributors to reflect on George Washington, his role in American history, and the importance of celebrating this day. Enjoy their remarks and please feel free to post your own thoughts about George Washington on his birthday (Old or New, […]

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Announcing the Winner of the 2017 Journal of the American Revolution Book of the Year Award

Journal of the American Revolution today announced its winner and runner-up for the 2017 Journal of the American Revolution Book of the Year Award. The annual award goes to the non-fiction volume that best mirrors the journal’s mission: to deliver engaging, creative, and intelligent content that makes American Revolution history accessible to a broad audience. […]

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Journal of the American Revolution Now Managed and Published by Bruce H. Franklin and Westholme Publishing

After five years at the helm of the Journal of the American Revolution Todd Andrlik is pleased to announce that Bruce H. Franklin and Westholme Publishing will be carrying the journal forward. Since its founding in 2013, the Journal of the American Revolution has established itself as a premier destination for original research about the […]

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GONE FISHIN’: RETURNING JANUARY 8

After another busy and exciting year, Journal of the American Revolution is taking a vacation to tackle a few other projects. Look for us again on January 8, 2018. While we’re away, here are some great reads: People, politics, culture, economics, conflict and war, critical thinking Archive of interviews Archive of book reviews Our book series books All archives (More than 1000 articles)

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Top 10 Articles of November 2017

We at JAR are very thankful for all our readers and expert writers. In November, we welcomed two new writers: Charles R. Foy and Nick DeLuca. We also formally announced our newest JAR book, John Adams vs Thomas Paine: Rival Plans for the Early Republic by Jett B. Conner. It’s available for pre-order now with […]

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Reviews Posted on

New JAR Book: John Adams vs Thomas Paine: Rival Plans for the Early Republic by Jett B. Conner

We are very happy to announce our newest JAR book is now available for sale. John Adams vs Thomas Paine: Rival Plans for the Early Republic by Jett B. Conner [BUY NOW ON AMAZON] How Paine’s Common Sense and Adams’s Thoughts on Government shaped our modern political institutions. Initially admiring Thomas Paine’s efforts for independence, John Adams nevertheless was […]

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Top 10 Articles of October 2017

Happy Halloween to all our readers! Before we look back at our most popular articles of the month, please join us in welcoming three new JAR writers: Michael R. Derderian, Robert Grandchamp and Michael Aikey. Last month, we also welcomed a new JAR advertiser, a Kickstarter campaign for Patriots & Redcoats, the hidden-identity card game capturing the […]

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