How does a nation defend a spacious new land to which it just laid claim? Consider a land that began with a trickle of settlers, only to surge into a steady stream of immigrants, each year’s population surpassing the next by leaps and bounds; a territory teaming with merchants, farmers, and artisans, who quickly fanned …
Royal Colonies were established in North America by England, France, Netherlands and Sweden. Spain launched earlier settlements and claimed lands south of the present Canadian border clear to the Pacific Ocean, but only established outposts and missionaries, particularly in Florida, which they maintained until 1763 when British took control. Different nations claimed many of the …
Maryland Regiment at the Battle of Long Island Tuesday, August 27, 1776. Since dawn, four hundred young men from Maryland exchanged volley for volley with some of England’s finest troops. Colonists from influential families, the former Baltimore Independent Cadets were experiencing their baptism of fire. In company with soldiers from Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut, they …
The vast majority of music performed and heard in the colonies of America was melodies carried down from generation to generation over the centuries; ballads and bawdy drinking songs that told stories of love, adventures, battles, political strife, and humorous tales. Hymns both secular and sacred were always popular and many new ones were composed …
The Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia compiled the most extensive report about diseases and success rates of doctors during the Revolutionary War Period. Aside from mental disorders which affected nearly one fifth of all patients, half of the hospital’s cases concerned seven disorders: scurvy – 15%, fevers – 9%, venereal disease – 9%, dropsy – 6%, …
Contrary to general belief, the term ‘rebel’ was not used solely when referring to Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War. It was first commonly applied to Americans who fought for independence from Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. The British often referred to the rebellious rabble that formed a new government and army …
DESCRIBING STATEN AND LONG ISLAND 1776 The following was taken from a letter written by Lieutenant Johann von Hinrichs (later Captain) of a company of Hessian Jaeger riflemen or chasseurs (taken from the French which literally means ‘hunter’) to Professor Schlozer. Hinrichs (1752-1834) briefly describes his travels from Bremerlehe to the American colonies via Portsmouth …
The Apthorpe[1] or Apthorp mansion (both names are in common use – the family vault uses Apthorp) carved its place in American history early in the Revolutionary War. In the estate’s elaborate living room, General George Washington devised the plan that would send Nathan Hale to spy on the British on Long Island. It was …
The summer of 1777 saw General Howe transporting a substantial part of his army south from New York to the Chesapeake Bay. His goal was to capture Philadelphia. After the Battle of Brandywine Creek, Sept. 11th, 1777, the Americans abandoned Philadelphia and General Cornwallis’ troops occupied the city on Sept. 26th. On Oct. 3rd, Washington …
Cliveden (Chew) House & Its Role in Battle of Germantown The Americans advanced in force caving in pickets, outposts and all resistance. One hundred British regulars, outnumbered with shot canisters full and plenty of powder, streamed inside the stately country mansion of wealthy Quaker loyalist Benjamin Chew, Pennsylvania supreme court justice. The British commander, battle …