Tag: 1775

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The Whites of their Eyes

Myth: During the so-called Battle of Bunker Hill, Israel Putnam (some say William Prescott) issued a command: “Do not fire till you see the whites of their eyes!” Displaying great courage and discipline in the face of advancing Redcoats, the untested patriots stood their ground and withheld their fire until they could gaze into the […]

by Ray Raphael
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My Adventure Finding a Lost Newspaper

While curating the collection of American Revolution newspapers featured in Reporting the Revolutionary War, I stumbled upon a rare 18th century American newspaper loaded with mystery and intrigue. Most newspapers of the era are well documented and catalogued by academic research institutions, but this one seemed to have slipped through the cracks for more than […]

by Todd Andrlik
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13 Questions with J. L. Bell (Part 2)

Today we pick up where we left off yesterday with our J. L. Bell interview. 8 // As someone who knows the start of the Revolution better than most, what books do you recommend most to fellow history buffs who are eager to learn more about the 1763-1776 period? If you ask me again tomorrow, […]

by Todd Andrlik
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13 Questions with J. L. Bell (Part 1)

When we think of prolific writers of American Revolution history, the names Bailyn, Ellis, Fleming, Morgan, Raphael, Wood and Young may come to mind. Another name that easily rivals those in quantity of words authored about the subject is Bell. John L. (J. L.) Bell is the author of one of, if not the, most […]

by Todd Andrlik
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“Horrid and Treasonable”

In late May 1775, the Scots-Irish settlers of remote Mecklenburg County, in the Carolina backcountry, received news by express messenger of the Battles of Lexington and Concord that had occurred a month earlier.  As one local militia leader named John McKnitt Alexander recalled, “We smelt and felt the Blood & carnage of Lexington, which raised […]

by Scott Syfert
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Second Coming of a Revolutionary War Patriot

Except outside of historical circles, Revolutionary War figures are not widely known, and are even more rarely celebrated. There are the ones you would expect, like George Washington, Nathanael Greene or (on the British side) Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton. More obscure characters usually remain that way – obscure.  They certainly don’t gain fame centuries later […]

by Scott Syfert
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Valentine to Miss Mercy Scollay

When researching the biography of Revolutionary War hero Dr. Joseph Warren, I had the unexpected pleasure of becoming acquainted with his fiancée Miss Mercy Scollay. Readers of the Journal of the American Revolution may already be familiar with Joseph Warren as the author of the foundational Suffolk Resolves, head of the Massachusetts Committee of Safety […]

by Samuel A. Forman