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The Molasses Act of 1733 was an attempt by the British Parliament, under de facto Whig Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole[1], to control the molasses trade that produced rum; a major source of income for the North American colonial markets – more so than tobacco. The act placed a high tax on any molasses that …
The Stamp Act, issued on March 22, 1765, was among the first rubs, some would note the last straw after a series of lesser trade acts, that led to North American colonies flexing their independent muscle. The Act in itself was the result of a new fair-minded British Prime Minister and his determination that Americans …
A hotheaded patriot lawyer whose cheeks would become so red when arguing a point, he was nicknamed ‘Old Bacon Face.’[1] An aggressive proponent of independence, thirty-three-year-old Samuel Chase was chosen to represent Maryland in the First Continental Congress, September 5, 1774. In the Second Congress, he rebelled against his conservative colony that favored peaceful concessions …
The quick and dirty history of toilet paper begins with toilet paper out of the picture. Not even in colonial America did our charming ‘bear’ bottoms experience a soft and perfumed wipe after one’s ‘necessary.’ That came decades later. In fact, the first toilet paper had chips and splinters which cuddly blue bears would not …
Crawford’s Defeat, also known as the Battle of Sandusky, May 25 – June 12, 1782, ended in the rout of around 500 Pennsylvania militia by an equal number of Native Americans; mainly Wyandot and Lenape Delaware, with some Shawnee, Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi, including a company of Butler’s Rangers. The Sandusky Expedition by Pennsylvania settlers, …
The Moravian or Gnadenhutten Massacre, March 8, 1782, resulted in the vicious rape and murder of 96 Moravian Native Americans by Pennsylvania militia settlers in the closing months of the American Revolution. The converted Christian Lenni-Lenape and Mohicans were mostly old men and women and children. Innocent pacifists, because of their commitment to non-violence, they …
It is always a pleasure to share Ken Bohrer’s photographs with our readers and this, his 100th blog. Considered among if not the best photographer in his field, Mr. Bohrer has spent decades recording American Revolution reenactments. Thank you Ken for your skill and keen eyes from all of us at Revolutionary War Journal. It’s …
A man will retain things for the preservation of his own life longer than he will retain things for the taking of life…In other words, the soldier will include his canteen as one of his best friends. Lt. Colonel Philip Reade, History of the Military Canteen, 1901. Simple in design but critical to hydrate a …
The American Revolution was teetering on ruin. But if you were to ask folks on the street to identify America’s darkest hour, except for the glazed looks of those who had slipped texts to their friends during high school history class, the common answer is Valley Forge, winter 1777-78. Wrong! It was four years later …
By the spring of 1781, six years of war in America had witnessed thousands of homes and homesteads plundered and torched. British and American punitive raids and foraging parties scoured coastal and inner regions. Politics and hatred morphed into one as a civil war erupted between militia bands of patriots and loyalists. In early April, …
William Floyd (1734–1821) of Suffolk County Long Island was the first of the New York delegation to the Second Continental Congress to sign the Declaration of Independence and the fourth member of Congress to do so. A wealthy Long Island farmer, prior to the American Revolution he was a colonel of the Suffolk County Militia. …
By Ken Bohrer of American Revolution Photos. September 1, 2024, Blog #75 It is always a pleasure to post my very good friend’s blog. Ken Bohrer, College Counselor, is also an outstanding photographer. He has devoted decades to recording American Revolution reenactment events like few others. His extensive portrayal of those dedicated to preserving our …
“…we were a set of men acting entirely on our own footing, without the promise or expectation of pay.” –Militiaman Sixteen-year-old James Potter Collins Back country southern militiamen were cut from a far different mold than their northern counterparts. The war in the north, by design, was one of organized armies that marched, positioned along …
The Framers of America’s Constitution had an almost hysterical fear of standing armies, and of governments backed by them. A standing army of professionals, they were sure, would eventually do one of two things: agitate for foreign military adventures to keep itself employed, or turn against its civilian masters to create a military dictatorship. To …
The raid and capture of Turtle Bay Depot, New York City, on July 20, 1775, a British military storehouse and magazine, was another cog in the wheel that churned towards a war upon which there was no going back. It was a bold and decisive move by leaders of the militant branch of the New …