Non-Profit Dedicated to Historical Education of the American Revolution and the Colonial Period
The number of African American soldiers who stood beside their patriot white comrades in arms during the American Revolutionary War has frequently been dismissed as unimpressive or inconsequential. An incorrect argument can be made to support such an opinion when taking the total number of soldiers who fought the entire war and factoring the ratio …
On October 7, 1777, in the second and conclusive action of what has become the American Revolution’s Battle of Saratoga, one of England’s bravest and considered the most experienced officer of wilderness warfare fell mortally wounded. At the height of the battle, when American General Daniel Morgan’s riflemen, like a ‘hoard of wildmen,’ fell upon …
From October 8th to the 14th, Burgoyne had been preparing his army to begin the long and dangerous trek back to Fort Ticonderoga. On October 10th, he had dispatched Lt. Colonel Nicholas Sutherland with two regiments up the west bank of the Hudson to assess the situation north of them. The idea, suggested by German …
Josiah Book 1 & Josiah’s Mettle Book 2 Shades of Liiberty is a new action and adventure historical fiction series that chronicles African Americans who fought in the Revolutionary War. Josiah is a blacksmith and runaway slave from Newport, Rhode Island. He, along with other escaped slaves, Scipio and Jeb, forged their marks to …
a Article 1 stated that Alexander Hamilton’s role during the Battle of White Plains had been fabricated and grossly exaggerated over the decades. The author of this three part series has traced this misinformation to Hamilton’s son who published several biographical texts; each one expanding on his father’s courage acts in combat. John Church Hamilton …
We as a nation tend to picture confrontation as a battle between the forces of good and evil, righteous and immoral, virtuous and corrupt – enlightenment and the dark side. Whenever the word patriotism is mentioned, Americans immediately identify with and embrace the former. And if one were to question, or doubt such pure and …
The Ethiopian Brigade was the brainchild of John Murray, the 4th Earl of Dunmore, Royal Governor Lord Dunmore of Virginia. On November 7, 1775, he issued a proclamation that rattled the chains of slavery; that which fueled the economy of both the northern and southern thirteen rebellious British Colonies in North America. Open warfare had …
The French and Indian War in the North American Colonies (Seven Years War in Europe) posed unique circumstances that required the British officers who fought in America to consider changes in their tactics and army’s structure. Gone were the windswept fields where large bodies of troops faced each other over open ground. Skirmishes and battles …
The Battle of White Plains was fought on Oct. 28, 1776. The Americans had suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Long Island on August 27th, 1776, and a third of Washington’s army barely escaped from Brooklyn across the East River to New York City. General Washington and his army were forced to wait …
Brave, Humble, Firm, Dedicated There are two Revolutionary War soldiers of merit who share the same name. Colonel John Nixon of Pennsylvania and Brigadier General John Nixon of Massachusetts. Colonel Nixon of Pennsylvania has received far more attention than General Nixon of Massachusetts. Colonel Nixon, along with his father Richard, were shipbuilders and prominent citizens …
Prior to the Battle of Long Island, the general orders issued by supreme commander General George Washington on August 20th, 1776 included instructions detailing the use of cockades. This was early in the war when the rebellious colonists’ main army was basically made up of militias, still in civilian attire. The section read: ‘As the …
At the time of the American Revolution the British Army was not overly concerned with efficiency in the common soldiers’ attire. They had yet to equate the value of utility and practicality with what they required their enlisted men wear and carry into battle. Appearance was of far more concern than adaptability. During the Seven …
For thousands of photos on the American Revolution, Visit Ken Bohrer here. If you were to ask someone on the street what was the ordinary British soldier was like during King George’s time, he or she might say something like: dregs, scoundrels, scum from the streets of London, debtors, drunks, common criminals or sweepings from …
When the British abandoned Boston, George Washington and his generals knew King George was far from listening to the colonist’s demands. They would be back, and in force. But where? All information and common sense pointed to New York City. Though smaller in size than Philadelphia and not the center of the fledgling rebel government, …
It is common knowledge that the Ministerial Forces of King George the Third stationed in America during the War of Independence were as much absorbed in quarreling with one another as in fighting the rebel army, not due to differences over strategy, but because of personal friction. Simply put, there was little, if any cooperation …