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The Lonely Vigil of America’s First Diplomat
byAfter the French and Indian War, or the Seven Years War as it was known in Europe, Spain and France began to plan for…
Spain
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Texas and the American Revolution
byIn discussions on the American Revolutionary War, the contributions of Texas are seldom brought up.[1] But in the 1770s, Texas, inhabited by Spaniards and…
This Week on Dispatches: John E. Happ on the Role of Pierre-Augustin Beaumarchais in American Independence
byOn this week’s Dispatches host Brady Crytzer interviews JAR contributor John E. Happ on the enigmatic Pierre-Augustin Beaumarchais. Best known today for his plays, The…
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Clarifying Beaumarchais
byAt the dawn of the American Revolution, France and Britain had been coexisting under a treaty of friendship since about 1765. Traded like properties…
2
The British Invade Nicaragua: The San Juan Expedition
byAccording to Andrew Jackson O’ Shaughnessy, the San Juan Expedition was among “the most ambitious enterprises of the American Revolutionary War.”[1] In 1779, after Spain’s…
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Documents of the Revolution: A Continuum of Conviction
byThose familiar with American history know that the Articles of Confederation served as the first constitution of the unified states during the American Revolution….
2
Opposing the Franco-American Alliance: The Case of Anne-Robert Jacques Turgot
byThe participation of the French on the side of the newly declared independent American colonies is widely acknowledged as the factor that tipped the…
This Week on Dispatches: George Kotlik on the British Invasion of the Bahamas
byOn this week’s Dispatches host Brady Crytzer interviews historian and JAR contributor George Kotlik on the British invasion of Spanish Bahamas at the close of the…
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The British Invasion of the Bahamas, 1783: One of the Final Actions of the American Revolution
byTucked away in a small corner of history and buried deep beneath mountains of text lie brief mentions of the British invasion of the…
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France and Spain Invade England—Almost
byOn February 6, 1778, France signed two treaties with the United States, one of Amity and Commerce, the other, a defensive Alliance.[1] In them, France…
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David Holmes, Timothy Barnard, and Questionable Loyalties
byWith the Revolutionary War in full swing by August 1776, George Galphin penned a letter to his nephew, Timothy Barnard. Galphin started his letter…
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George Farragut: The Epitome of an American Colonial
byJordi Ferragut Mesquida, better known by his anglicized name George Farragut, was the only known Spanish volunteer who fought under the American flag in…
The Annapolis Convention of 1786: A Call for a Stronger National Government
bySpeaking at South Carolina’s ratification convention in 1788, Charles Pinckney derided the Articles of Confederation as a “miserable, feeble mockery of government.” Pinckney was…
This Week on Dispatches: Robert Davis on Georgia and the American Revolution
byIn this week’s Dispatches host Brady Crytzer interviews distinguished historian Robert “Bob” Davis about Georgia’s unique role in the American Revolution as the colony that…
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James Willing and the Mississippi Expedition
byThe story of the Revolutionary War tends to focus on operations and events east of the Appalachian Mountains, with good reason as most of…
8
“Be A King George”
by“Be a King George.” Four simple, but oft repeated words drilled into the Prince of Wales from childhood by his mother, Augusta of Saxe-Gotha….
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James Bruce’s Report on the Situation of West Florida and Havana, 1782
byThe British loss of West Florida in 1781 ushered in a new era for the region, an era dominated by Spanish rule. For some,…
The Sea Battle that Paid Off for the Continental Army
byAs the Revolutionary War was coming to an end, financial problems came to the forefront: to name a few, the country’s debts to France,…
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Gibraltar: The Greatest Siege in British History
byBook Review: Gibraltar: The Greatest Siege in British History by Roy Adkins and Lesley Adkins, (Viking, 2017). BUY THIS BOOK FROM AMAZON It is…
Our Man in Minorca: Lewis Littlepage, American Volunteer with the Spanish Armed Forces
byThe Revolutionary War was fought on a global scale, with six nation states engaged in battles across three continents and two oceans. Volunteers from…
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The First Countries to Diplomatically Recognize the United States
by“Diplomacy is seduction in guise …”, whispered Benjamin Franklin to his fellow commissioner John Adams. “One improves with practice.” Although the quote isn’t real…
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The Remarkable Spanish Pilgrimage of John Adams
byThe ship carrying John Adams was sinking in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean! The awful thought must have been crippling for Adams, chosen…
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The Battle of St. Louis
byWhile the War of American Independence was won on the Eastern seaboard by American and French battling the British, the future of the United…
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The Perfect Storm: Bernardo de Gálvez and the Gulf Coast Campaign
byOne of the genuine pleasures of research is the discovery of someone whose contributions are barely noticed in classroom histories, but without whom, events…