We all have bucket list items that we want to check off in our lifetime. Some revolve around traveling, some may revolve around learning a new hobby or skill. We may have different categories of items. The last is true for me.
One of those categories was to see the first shots of the wars of the United States (okay and the French and Indian War, since that started the march toward independence, when looked at through the lens of history and distance). Continue reading “First Shots”
As February turns to March, our friends at American Battlefield Trust (ABT), in honor of Women’s History Month, are starting a series on “Women in War.”
The objective of the initiative is to highlight the important role women have played in America’s conflicts, especially the wars that the Trust is actively trying to preserve the hallowed ground from. From the home-front to the front-lines, women were crucial to all aspects of the winning or sustaining the fight during the respective conflicts.
That got one historian at Emerging Revolutionary War thinking.
If you had to list the most influential women during the American Revolutionary War time period, who would top the list?
Feel free to comment below!
For information about the ABT’s month-long series click here.
A reflection on the previous month’s exploration in South Carolina.
August 16, 1780 would prove to be a devastating day for the American Army in the south, known as the “Grand Army” by its commander, Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates, the Hero of Saratoga. The battle between this army and that of Lt. Gen. Charles, Earl Cornwallis, in the Pine Barrens near the South Carolina town of Camden, would end in the total rout of the Americans and the destruction of the reputation of its commander. It would also temporarily leave the southern colonies without a central army to oppose the British.
On November 1, members of the Emerging Revolutionary War Era staff took a road trip to Camden, SC to research the battle, walk the battlefield and meet with local historians in preparation for an upcoming addition to our book series, on the Battle of Camden. On the way down, we took the opportunity of visiting other sites of combat, actions that occurred prior to and after the fight at Camden. Continue reading “Visiting the Scene of Action: Battle of Camden”
As a young history buff, I remember well wearing out the pages of the original A Battlefield Atlas of American Revolution by Craig Symonds. Though I have no idea where that well worn out book is today, I am happy to see that Symonds has revised and re-released his encompassing atlas, published by Savas Beatie Publishing.
Symonds, using his experience as a lifelong teacher, approaches the war from the viewpoint of an educator. Breaking the war into four parts chronologically, Symonds provides a short narrative at the beginning of each section giving an overview of the action in each region and year. The battle descriptions for each map are thorough and give a great account of the action and the impact each event had on the overall campaign or war effort.
Symonds should be commended for covering lesser known campaigns and battles of the American Revolution such as Valcour Island, Fort Stanwix, Oriskany, Newport, Penobscot Bay and others. This enhances the work as it shows where these battles took place and speaks to the depth that Symonds took to comb the entire continent to include these minor yet important engagements in the atlas. For many readers, this will be the first time these actions have been visualized through maps.
As in his previous work, cartographer William Clipson provides easy to read and clear maps. The maps provide a good mix of detail and broadness to appeal to the casual history buff and dedicated researcher. As in his other atlases, the text flows well with the map as Symonds has numbers in the text that relate to specific parts of the map.
Though I enjoyed this book, there are two critiques of this volume. First, the size of the text which is very small and condensed. The font style and size selected could prove to be hard for some people to read. Secondly, a few of the maps have been cropped to the point where parts of the maps and text have been cut off, making them incomplete.
This book is a great addition to any library or better yet, in the glove box of your car as you visit these battlefields. It is a perfect companion in the field that allows one to understand the action and provides just enough of an overview to fill in for those battlefields that do not have any signage or interpretation. The information is detailed enough to give you a clear understanding of the battle and campaigns and the maps provide a great visualization of the action.
On the morning of March 15, 1783, George Washington strode into the “New Building” or “Temple” as the structure was referred as, to address the assembled officers of the Continental Army. He asked General Horatio Gates if he could have the floor to say a few words and when he unfolded his pieces of paper on the podium, the words lost their importance.
Why? Continue reading “George Washington’s Greatest Speech?”
Emerging Revolutionary War recently had the pleasure, via e-mail, to interview historian Michael Troy who is the man behind the popular American Revolution Podcast site. A link to his page follows this interview.
I have been a big fan of American history my whole life. The American Revolution has always held a fascination for me. I had originally planned to produce a blog on the topic, simply out of my love of reading and writing about it. I decided to turn the project into a podcast because I’ve enjoyed listening to other history podcasts myself. I figured others might appreciate a thorough podcast that covered this topic.
I’m old enough to remember the bicentennial celebrations as a boy. I also grew up in the Philadelphia area, where there are so many locations with memories of the era. I always felt an attachment particularly to that time in our history. Beyond that, the Revolution was more than American independence. It was about creating a new country based on the ideals of representative democracy, at a time of the world was still ruled by hereditary monarchies. It was a bold experiment that really changed the world in which we live today. Continue reading “Interview with Michael Troy from American Revolution Podcast”
So, vacation time rolls around again and this year my family and I had an opportunity to travel to Paris, France for a few days. Riding into the city from Charles de Gaulle Airport, our taxi driver, by chance, took us past an old, green-corroded bronze statue, set in the middle of a little flowered square. From my vantage, I could only see the bottom portion of the statue; what appeared to be the lower portion of a man in buckled shoes, seated in a wooden chair, atop a marble pedestal. My wife happened to be in the right spot in the vehicle as we quickly drove by. “Looks like Benjamin Franklin, I think.” she said, and with those words, she sent me on a journey to find that statue again and, hopefully, other sites in Paris associated with Mr. Franklin.
Unlike his colleague from New England, John Adams, who was from good, plain Puritan stock, the pulse of a city like Paris, with its decadence, opulence and social intrigue, fit Benjamin Franklin like a glove. As ambassador to France after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Franklin was instrumental in helping to obtain for our fledging nation the financial and military support necessary for bringing our war for independence to a happy conclusion. To the people of Paris, he was somewhat of a celebrity, due to his experiments with electricity. He spoke French and endeared himself to the people by displaying, in his dress and speech, what they considered his “rustic” demeanor. In a word, they were charmed by Benjamin Franklin. The fur cap he was fond of wearing only added to his disguise of “homespun rusticity”. So, finding a monument to him in this city was not much of a surprise. Continue reading “Another American in Paris”
Part of an ongoing series about the Continental Army in Morristown, New Jersey. To read previous posts, click here.
During the winter encampment, in 1777, at Morristown, George Washington ordered the inoculation for smallpox of the Continental Army. Although knowing the probability that some of his men would succumb to the disease when infected with even a small dosage of the puss, the commander-in-chief knew that the necessity of the process. By the end of the American Revolutionary War, more American soldiers would die of smallpox than British shot and shell.
With a population of 700 people and less than 70 dwellings, any public space of size was utilized to treat and quarantine the soldiers undergoing the smallpox inoculation. One of the religious establishments that was used was the Presbyterian Church across the street from Morristown Green, the center of town.
The Presbyterian Church already had a long history in Morristown, being the first congregation founded in the town, dating back to 1733 (the one you see today is actually the third to grace the same site).
Behind the church is a graveyard referred to as “The Burying Ground” which holds the remains of over 1,700 individuals. Included in that number are the remains of numerous soldiers that succumbed to the smallpox inoculation during the winter encampment of 1777. From the burials that are known, 138 remains are those of soldiers from the American Revolution.
During the annual commemoration of Independence Day, the town of Morristown will offer guided programs of “The Burying Ground.” At other times throughout the year, the church itself will offer tours. You can find information about the church programs of the cemetery here.
Whether you visit on a guided tour or independently stroll the ground, the though to keep in mind is; the men who died whether on the field of battle, succumbed to smallpox, or lived a long life as a veteran, the all helped make Morristown the placed where “America Survived.”
Part of an ongoing series of about the Continental Army in Morristown, New Jersey. For the first post, click here.
Across the street from the Ford Mansion, the elegant home of the Jacob Ford, Jr. and his family, and the headquarters for George Washington during the winter encampment of 1779-1780, sits a small boulder with a iron plaque plastered on the side.
Erected in 1932 by the Tempe Wicke Society Children of the American Revolution, the monument commemorates the Life Guards that served as Washington’s headquarters command during the American Revolution. Although the unit went by different names and reorganized at least twice, including once during the winter encampment at Morristown, the company, numbering approximately 150 men, would be around for the duration of the war. Continue reading “Uncovering the Continental Army in Morristown”
Emerging Revolutionary War welcomes back guest historian Michael Aubrecht
September 24 of each year is the anniversary date of the Judiciary Act of September 24, 1789. It also means that the United States Marshals Service is a year older. Along with the first federal law enforcement agency in the United States, President George Washington signaled the start of the entire federal judicial system with his signature on that date. It was a broad document covering many positions from judges to prosecutors. Sections 27 and 28 were specific to the U.S. Marshal’s roles and responsibilities. A segment of Section 27 specifically outlines their general powers. It states:
And be it further enacted, That a marshal shall be appointed in and for each district for a term of four years, but shall be to attend the district and circuit courts when sitting therein, and also the Supreme Court in the district in which that court sit. (b) And to execute throughout the district, all lawful precepts directed to him, and issued under the authority of the United States, and he shall have the power to command all necessary assistance in the execution of his duty, and to appoint as shall be occasion, one or more deputies… Continue reading “Washington’s Marshals”
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