Author: James M. Smith

James M. Smith graduated with Bachelor of Science degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and lives in King William County, Virginia. It is his hope to write a political, not military, history of the revolution—the history that John Jay asked Charles Thomson, the secretary to the Continental Congress, to write, but which never got written—telling the story from the point of view of the Loyalists as well as the Patriots. He believes it is important to understand that the American Revolution was as much a civil war as it was a revolution.

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Prewar Politics (<1775) Posted on

The Exile of Thomas Hutchinson, Royal Governor of the Colony of Massachusetts

Most stories have a chief villain. The story of the American Revolution is no different. One man stands out amongst all the rest in the minds of Massachusetts revolutionary leaders. James Otis, Samuel Adams, and especially John Adams accused Thomas Hutchinson as being the architect of all the oppressive laws that were being passed by […]

by James M. Smith
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Prewar Politics (<1775) Posted on

Thomas Hutchinson, Patrick Henry, and the Stamp Act

When the stamp act crisis arose, a number of American colonial legislatures opposed the measure and sent remonstrances to Parliament objecting to it. Two of those colonies were Virginia and Massachusetts. The methods utilized by each were different and had differing results. The difference may be attributed to what may be called “Patrick Henry’s Hoax”. […]

by James M. Smith
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Diplomacy Posted on

Charles Thomson and the Delaware

There are many, many founding fathers in the story of America’s Revolution and unfortunately only a few are really known to the general public. Yet without those who are less known, there would have been no revolution. One of those men was the official secretary of the Continental Congress, Charles Thomson. He was the sole […]

by James M. Smith
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Loyalists Posted on

Massachusettensis and Novanglus: The Last Great Debate Prior to the American Revolution

When John Adams returned to Massachusetts after the session of the First Continental Congress, he was surprised to find that there was growing opposition to the radicals and the work of the Congress. It was led by a man who identified himself as “Massachusettensis.” On December 12, 1774 Massachusettensis published the first of a series […]

by James M. Smith