4
Weirdest moment?
byWhat do you think was the strangest or most unconventional moment, battle or event of the Revolution? The “Salem Alarm” occurred when Gen….
Group Interview
4
9
Ultimate sacrifice?
byWhich individual made the single greatest sacrifice, other than death, for their cause? In 1774, Philadelphia importer Robert Morris was arguably the wealthiest…
3
Worst working relationship?
byWhich two people let their personal dislike of each other interfere the most with their working relationship? It was quite obvious that generals,…
3
Best working friendship?
byWhich two people leveraged their friendship into a positive working relationship that delivered strong results? The personal relationship Paris Commissioners Benjamin Franklin and…
15
Major Misconceptions to Dispel
byName one major misconception about the American Revolution that you would like to dispel. Nathan Hale is perhaps the best known American spy…
4
Luckiest?
byLuckiest? Who should have bought a lottery ticket? Who benefited most from being in the right place at the right time? Explain. I…
10
Most famous weapon?
byMost famous weapon? What was the most popular, deadliest, strangest or most intimidating weapon of the Revolution? Why? There are many candidates, but…
3
Best counterpunch?
byBest counterpunch? What was the best or most effective return-action of the Revolution? A case where the Americans or British moved first, but the…
11
Most shocking moment?
byMost shocking or unexpected moment of the Revolution? The most shocking moment unfolded slowly, not quickly. It was the shock the British got…
16
Biggest jerk of the Revolution?
byBiggest jerk of the Revolution? Who seemed to be the most despicable person of the era? Why? This award goes to Benedict Arnold,…
4
The funniest thing?
byWhat’s the funniest thing you’ve come across in researching this period? In Paris, while negotiating the treaty with France, Ben Franklin stopped for…
5
Who would you introduce?
byWhat two people from the Revolutionary period who never met (so far as we know) do you wish you could introduce? Why? I…
10
How has your perspective changed?
bySince you began studying the American Revolution, how has your perspective on it changed? My perspective has become more complex. As I followed…
13
How do you define “Founding Fathers”?
byHow do you define “Founding Fathers”? You can define it either broadly or narrowly. By consensus, most historians limit the narrow definition to six….
1
Which side benefited the most from the Native Americans?
byWhich side do you think benefited the most from the Native American involvement in the war? Why? The British benefited the most, from one…
Most influential second city?
byOutside of the big four (Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Charleston), which city was most critical to the success of the Revolution? Why? …
6
Global distraction?
byWhat impact did British involvement elsewhere in the world have on operations in North America? Explain. As brilliantly told in Andrew Jackson O’Shaughnessy’s…
1
Best listener?
byA lot has been written about the greatest writers and orators of the Revolution, but effective communication also requires good listening. Who was the…
1
Greatest lesson learned?
byDuring the protracted conflict, nations, colonies, committees and individuals had several opportunities to learn from their mistakes. In your opinion, what is the best…
4
Favorite artifact?
byWhich Revolutionary artifact do you wish was mistakenly delivered to your doorstep rather than the curator of a museum? Washington’s draft of The…
9
Strangest Founding Father?
byWho was the biggest oddball of the founders? Why? Every Founder had his “foibles,” as Washington acknowledged about himself, but Charles Lee was…
3
Greatest Controversy?
byOf all the disputed topics, events, reputations or battles of the Revolution, which is the greatest? Explain. Militarily, Howe’s failure to pursue Washington’s…
1
Most Mistaken Identity?
byRevolutionary person known for one thing who should be known for something else? And the winner is Benedict Arnold, almost universally known as…
13
Most Misunderstood Event?
byWhich one event of the Revolution is incorrectly interpreted most often? Explain. The battle of Saratoga. There is a group who are determined…
15
Most Referenced Book?
byWhich American Revolution book do you refer to most often (not to be confused with “favorite book”)? Why? The single volume that I…
2
Favorite Piece of Propaganda?
byPropaganda was important during the Revolution. What is your favorite propaganda item? Why? My favorite is Tom Paine’s “These are the times that…
7
Favorite Revolutionary War Site to Visit?
byFavorite RevWar site (battlefield, home, museum, etc.) to visit today? Why? My favorite site is Yorktown. There’s enough still there to give you…
3
Most Important Diplomatic Action?
byMost important diplomatic action of the war? Why? The most important diplomatic action of the war was signing the treaty of alliance with …
6
Best Husband-Wife Duo?
byAside from John and Abigail, what was the best husband-wife duo of the Revolution? Why? The best husband wife team–better than John and…
2
Greatest Consequence?
byGreatest consequence of the American Revolution? The greatest consequence of the Revolution is the way the Declaration of Independence spread around the globe….
8
Most underrated battle?
byMost underrated battle of the Revolutionary War? Why? The most underrated battle of the war was Springfield, New Jersey, in 1780. If the…
5
Most overrated battle?
byMost overrated battle of the Revolutionary War? Why? Saratoga. It wasn’t a turning point and the general who theoretically won it, Horatio Gates,…
6
The American Revolution in One Tweet?
byTwitter is the enormously popular social networking tool that enables one user to send “tweets” to many followers, or subscribers. The text message-like tweets…
22
Favorite Quote?
byWhat is your favorite quote by a Revolutionary? “I see one head turning into thirteen.” Washington said this several times in the closing…
12
The One Big Mystery?
byWhat’s the one unanswered question about the American Revolution you’d most like answered? Put another way, what’s one remaining mystery of the Revolution that…
12
The Time Travel Question
byIf you could time travel and visit any American city/colony/state for one year between 1763 and 1783, which city/colony/state and year would you choose?…
2
Needs Further Exploration?
byWhat aspects of or questions regarding the American Revolution need to be further explored by historians? All of them. I think a return…
7
Essential American Revolution Library?
byWhat books do you consider essential to any American Revolution buff’s library? Why? About 12 years ago I ran across John Buchanan’s The…
9
Strategy to Pre-war Violence?
byDo you think there was a greater strategy behind most of the pre-war violence, or was it primarily raw emotion and vengeance? There…