On June 28, 1776, nine British warships under the command of Sir Peter Parker weighed anchor and began moving toward Sullivan’s Island outside of Charleston, South Carolina. Col. William Moultrie, commanding the 2nd South Carolina Regiment in an unfinished palmetto log fort, ordered his men to their posts to prepare for a defense. The first four British ships moved into position and anchored 400 yards from the fort. In an amazing display of British firepower, the British ships began to fire broadsides, simultaneously firing all the cannon from one side of the ship. The broadsides were deafening as hundreds of British cannonballs screeched through the air and slammed into the palmetto walls of the fort. Local newspapers later described the cannonade as “one of the most heavy and incessant cannonades perhaps ever known.”
As the walls of the fort shook violently, Moultrie’s men coolly manned their cannon and returned the fire as best they could. A continuous roar of cannon fire from hundreds of artillery pieces belched forth, quickly filling the harbor with the sight of white smoke and the smell of burning sulfur. The crash of the cannonballs mixed with the screams of wounded men filled the air.
As the British cannon boomed away, their solid shot hit the walls of the palmetto fort. But the soft, spongy wood of the palmetto (and the 16 feet of sand behind them) absorbed the shock and the balls either buried themselves into the wall or bounced off and fell harmlessly to the ground. Meanwhile, the British ships endured terrible damage from the American shore batteries. American cannonballs smashed into the oak of the British ships, causing havoc and bloodshed.
Join Emerging Revolutionary War this Sunday evening at 7 p.m. ET on our Facebook page as we sit down for a pre-recorded discussion with historian and author Mike Cecere and his daughter, Jennifer Cecere to discuss their new historical fiction books centered on the Revolutionary War. “Witness to Revolution” focuses on the lives of children growing up in Williamsburg, Virginia during the beginning part of the Revolution. Their recently released second book, “Witness to War” follows the characters through the tumultuous war.
We discuss the importance of historical fiction, the differences between writing non fiction and historical fiction, and the challenges and opportunities getting the next generation interested in the Revolutionary War. Grab a drink and join us for a great discussion!
Join Emerging Revolutionary War historians Mark Maloy, Rob Orrison, and Mark Wilcox on this Sunday, March 17 at 7 p.m. on our Facebook page for a pre-recorded revelry as we discuss the Irish in the American Revolution. We’ll talk about the Irish who fought with Washington’s army (such as Colonel John Fitzgerald), those who fought with the British, and how the events in American ultimately spilled over into Ireland (the Irish Rebellion of 1798) and how we have come to remember the role of the Irish in the Revolution. Happy St. Patrick’s Day (and Evacuation Day)!
Can’t make it on St. Patrick’s Day because you’ll be celebrating? No problem, the episode will be up on our YouTube page later this week and available on our audio podcast. While there, check out our hundreds of Rev War Revelries and other videos!
Today we celebrate George Washington’s Birthday. You read that correctly. While most people refer to this Monday holiday as ‘Presidents Day’, the federal holiday (and many state holidays) only celebrates one President of the United States: George Washington.
Washington’s birthday celebrations go back to the time when Washington was living. Washington was born on February 11, 1731, but with the changing from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, it was shifted to February 22, 1732 in 1752. (Check out a video of us visiting the site of Washington’s birth!) While there are no records of how he and his family celebrated the day privately, the first real public celebration of his birthday occurred at Valley Forge in 1778. A fife and drum corps serenaded the commanding general outside his headquarters building at the Potts House during that dreadful winter. Historically, the colonists had celebrated annually the birthday of the King, so it was symbolic for the Continentals to celebrate Washington’s birthday instead during the war.
After becoming President of the United States, large public celebrations of Washington’s birthday occurred across the country including large ones in Philadelphia and New York. These celebrations included the ringing of church bells, feasts, toasts, artillery firings, and fireworks.
With three ships sitting at Griffins Wharf in Boston Harbor laden with tea, the Sons of Liberty were quickly running out of time on December 16, 1773. At the stroke of midnight, twenty days would have past since the first ship arrived in the harbor. At that time, customs officials would seize the cargo, the tax would be paid, and the British government would have been successful in forcing the colonists to pay a tax they did not consent to. The British would have demonstrated their power over the colonists. The colonists’ rights as Englishmen were at stake. Whereas the tea cosignees had resigned in New York and Philadelphia, the ones in Boston refused to resign and the Governor was refusing to allow the ships to leave the harbor.
On December 16, the leaders of Boston held a meeting they referred to as the “Body of the People.” Because of the large amount of interest in the issue, more than 5,000 people attended this meeting at the Old South Meeting House in Boston (the largest venue in the city). At the meeting was William Rotch, the owner of the ship Dartmouth which was the first ship to enter the harbor and would be the first to be seized by the customs officials on December 17. Rotch wanted to protect his property and see if the Governor would allow him to sail out of the harbor. The meeting recessed to let him go to the Governor outside of Boston and request the ability to leave the Harbor. Governor Hutchinson said he could not allow the Dartmouth to leave. After the meeting had reconvened in the Old South Meeting House, Rotch returned to Boston at about 6 p.m. and told the crowd that the Governor would not let the tea return. This news was responded to with loud cries and shouting.
At that moment, Samuel Adams declared “This meeting can do nothing further to save the country.” After saying this, people heard Indian war whoops coming from the crowd and outside the building. Another person declared “Boston Harbor a teapot this night!” The people then began exiting the building and heading down to Griffins Wharf a few blocks away. Down at the wharf, men (some disguised as Mohawk Indians) began boarding the three ships. Approximately one hundred men boarded the ships and quickly got to work pulling up the large tea chests to the decks and dumping the tea into the cold water below. Crowds gathered and watched the men work for nearly two hours as they methodically worked to destroy all the tea on board the ships.
The men were careful to not destroy any other property except the tea. They also refused to steal any of the tea, punishing anyone who made an attempt. It was low tide and the tea started to pile up out of the water and needed to be mashed down into the water and mud.
British regulars were stationed at nearby Castle William, but they were not called down to the ships out of fear of insitigating a similar event as the Boston Massacre that occurred three years earlier. The British navy, posted in the harbor also made no attempt to stop the destruction. Some Royal Navy sailors watched the events on Griffins Wharf with some trepidation.
Once all 342 chests of tea had been tossed overboard, the destroyers left and the crowd dispersed. In all, they had destroyed 46 tons of tea on the ships.
The event would have major repurcussions as the British determined to repsond to the event with brute force and would ultimately result in the Revolutionary War less than two years later. John Adams wrote: “This Destruction of the Tea is so bold, so daring, so firm, intrepid and inflexible, and it must have so important Consequences, and so lasting, that I cant but consider it as an Epocha in History.”
Learn more about the events happening to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party by visiting https://www.december16.org/.
You can learn more about Boston in the Revolutionary War by reading Rob Orrison and Phill Greenwalt’s book A Single Blow, part of the Emerging Revolutionary War book series.
Every so often news stories arise about popular symbols of the American Revolutionary War that are used by various people to promote modern political agendas. One prominent symbol is the yellow flag with a coiled rattlesnake and the words “Don’t Tread on Me” below it. This flag, often referred to as the Gadsden flag, has a fascinating history dating back to the Revolutionary War.
The first real use of the snake representing the colonies begins before the Revolutionary War, during the French and Indian War, when Benjamin Franklin created a cartoon using a snake to represent the various colonies each separated from one another with the words “Join, or Die” under the image. This was an effort to get the various colonies to unite for common defense during that time period.
By the time of the Revolutionary War in 1775, the symbol had become a solitary rattlesnake, coiled and ready to strike often accompanied by the warning “Don’t Tread on Me.” Christopher Gadsden, a prominent South Carolina patriot, served in the Continental Congress and designed the yellow flag as a naval ensign. Beginning in 1776 the flag was hung up in the room where Congress met in Philadelphia and because it was designed by Gadsden, it became known as the Gadsden flag.
Happy Carolina Day! This June 28 marks the 247th anniversary of the Battle of Sullivan’s Island. In the battle, an outgunned and outnumbered group of Patriots defending an unfinished palmetto fort repulsed one of the most powerful navies in the world. The battle marked the first major battle of the Revolutionary War around Charleston and the battle’s anniversary (often referred to as Carolina Day or Palmetto Day) has been celebrated by Charlestonians and South Carolinians since 1777. But this was only the first of many actions that occurred in and around Charleston during the Revolutionary War.
Author Mark Maloy holding the newest Emerging Revolutionary War Series book: “To the Last Extremity: The Battles for Charleston, 1776-1782”
Just in time for the anniversary of this battle, Emerging Revolutionary War is proud to announce the sixth installment of the Emerging Revolutionary War Book Series: “To the Last Extremity: The Battles for Charleston, 1776-1782” by Mark Maloy. In our first book that explores the southern campaign of the Revolutionary War, “To the Last Extremity” gives and overview of what happened in Charleston, South Carolina during the war, including the Battle of Sullivan’s Island, Prevost’s 1779 invasion, the 1780 Siege of Charleston, and the occupation and liberation of the city. Additionally, the book includes three tours in and around the city that shows where the major actions occurred and what you can see there today.
Celebrate Carolina Day this year by picking up a copy of “To the Last Extremity” at Savas Beatie or wherever books are sold! If you are lucky enough to be in Charleston, this year’s annual celebration will take place in White Point Garden in Charleston, South Carolina with an address by Dr. David Preston who joined Emerging Revolutionary War a few months ago for one of our Rev War Revelries.
Join us on Sunday night at 7 p.m. on our Facebook page as we welcome historian and author Mike Cecere to discuss his latest book: “Williamsburg at War: Virginia’s Capital in the Revolutionary War.” Williamsburg witnessed many crucial events during the Revolution and war. From the Stamp Tax Resolves of 1765, meetings at the Raleigh Tavern in 1769 and 1774, the gunpowder incident and formation of troops in 1775, the unanimous decision of the 5th Virginia Convention to support American independence in May 1776, the steady support of the continental army throughout the war, two brief enemy occupations in 1781, and finally, as a staging area for the Siege of Yorktown in 1781, Williamsburg played a significant role in the Revolution and Revolutionary War.
Can’t make it this Sunday? You can see a recorded version on our YouTube page or on our podcast!
Join us on Sunday, January 22 at 7 p.m. on our Facebook page as we welcome author Gene Procknow to discuss his new book: “William Hunter – Finding Free Speech: A British Soldier’s Son Who Became an Early American.” During the American Revolution, Hunter accompanied his father on a campaign to fight the American Rebels. Witnessing first-hand the terrors of combat and twice experiencing capture, Hunter wrote the only surviving account written by a child of a British soldier during the American Revolution. Previously unknown, the journal is one of the most important document discoveries in recent years. He later became a prominent newspaper editor and representative. Join us as we learn more about this fascinating story from early American history.
Can’t make it this Sunday? You can see a recorded version on our YouTube page or on our podcast!
In the summer of 2022, archaeologists discovered the remains of 13 Hessians who had been killed during the Battle of Red Bank in New Jersey. The Battle of Red Bank was fought on October 22, 1777 and resulted in the deaths of dozens of Hessian soldiers. Join Emerging Revolutionary War as we welcome one of the archaeologists who worked on the project, Wade Catts, to discuss the battle, the surprising discovery that occurred this summer, and what we can learn from archaeology about the men who fought the battle 245 years ago.
You can tune in live to the discussion on our Facebook page on Sunday, October 30 at 7:00 p.m. EST. Can’t make it for the live viewing? Check out the recording later on our Facebook page, our YouTube page, or our podcast!
