8
The Tragedy of Henry Laurens
byIt wasn’t really their fault, they said. Slavery, men of the founding generation liked to argue, was brought to the colonies by Britain. It…
Slavery
8
9
Hamilton’s Revenge
byHaving just attained his thirteenth (or eleventh) birthday, he found himself confined to a bed on the second floor of a small two-story house…
This Week on Dispatches: Michael W. Twitty on the Legacy of African American Cuisine
byIn this week’s Dispatches host Brady Crytzer interviews Michael W. Twitty, writer, culinary historian, and educator about the legacy and influence of enslaved Africans on…
1
The Molasses Act: A Brief History
byThe Molasses Act of 1733 levied a duty of six pence per gallon on foreign molasses imported into British colonies in North America. The…
Recognizing the Skirmish at Kemp’s Landing
byNovember 10, 1775 was an important day in both Great Britain and America. Lord George Germain assumed duties as the Secretary of State for…
7
Putting a Price on Loyalty: Mary Loring’s List of Losses
byThe Revolutionary War took a heavy toll on Great Britain. The Treaty of Paris in 1783 left it not just bereft of former colonies…
3
The American Revolution of Private Jacob Francis
byWhen Jacob Francis[1] began life on January 15, 1754 in western New Jersey’s Amwell Township in Hunterdon County, free black people in a state…
4
The 1st Rhode Island Regiment and Revolutionary America’s Lost Opportunity
byAs the battered Continental Army encamped in Valley Forge for the winter of 1777-1778 after a year of setbacks and defeats, Gen. James Varnum,…
12
Slavery through the Eyes of Revolutionary Generals
byGenerally when people think about slavery in the United States, they harken back to the Civil War period when Northern states had abolished slavery…
2
Preventing Slave Insurrection in South Carolina & Georgia, 1775-1776
byAs the colonies of South Carolina and Georgia moved closer to open rebellion against Great Britain in the summer of 1775, leaders of the…
12
10 Remarkable Runaway Ads
byA frequent discovery when reading 18th Century newspapers is the runaway ads. In an era when people could be owned by or contractually bound…
4
William Lee & Oney Judge: A Look at George Washington & Slavery
byGeorge Washington was a slave owner for his entire life, a fact that surprises many of his fellow citizens more than 200 years after…
2
Could America Have Thrived Without Slavery?
byCould the new nation have thrived economically if slavery had been abolished when the colonies won independence? Probably would have thrived even more. …