Misc information - Revolutionary War

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Let's not forget the Ladies of the Revolution War
The women of the early American Republic were not allowed to vote or to own property - they were the legal property of their husbands. However, they did as much as the men to win independence. Over the past decades writers have brought long neglected facts to light, and now Cokie Roberts has weighed in with some solid research in her books "Founding Mothers," covering the Revolution, and "Ladies of Liberty," covering 1796-1825. There is still much debate about women in combat, but Roberts and other historians have found a number of women who were fully involved fighting the British.
by newwest.net :: 2008-07-09 :: Misc information

Deborah Samson fought in Revolution war disguised as a man
In 1782, Robert Shurtliff enlisted to fight in the Revolution as a "three-year man." Slender but muscular, Shurtliff served 17 months in the 4th Massachusetts Regiment, was wounded twice, and honorably discharged. Somewhere along the way, authorities found out that Robert Shurtliff was in reality Deborah Samson - a woman. Massachusetts observes Deborah Samson Day - or, at least those people aware of her story do. She fought so well as a man that two centuries later governor Michael S. Dukakis declared her the Commonwealth's official state heroine, and May 23 as Deborah Samson Day.
by boston :: 2008-05-30 :: Misc information

Women of the Revolution: Bravery and Sacrifice on the Southern Battlefields
As a part of Women's Week at the Kings Mountain National Military Park, men took a back seat to let the history of Revolutionary War nurses, aides, workers, wives and mothers be told. "Women actually played an important role because they helped support the armies," said Robert Dunkerly, speaking on his new book "Women of the Revolution: Bravery and Sacrifice on the Southern Battlefields." His book accounted the various ways women were entangled in the Revolutionary War. "I found that women were present with most of the armies and most of the battles. The armies really needed."
by shelbystar :: 2008-03-26 :: Misc information

Legacy: Spain and the US in the Age of Independence, 1763-1848
The Spain's Role in America's 'Age of Independence' is the theme of "Legacy: Spain and the United States in the Age of Independence, 1763-1848" -exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery. Spanning from the Treaty of Paris to Mexico's ceding of California, it's a collection of 70 portraits, maps and treaties that try to shed light on this shadowy corner of history. France was America's key partner in the struggle for independence. But the exhibit makes clear that, without the help of Spain -- from financial aid to military action -- the War of Independence might have taken a different track.
by washingtonpost :: 2008-01-04 :: Misc information

Storyteller Lynn Ruehlmann takes students back to Colonial times
Storyteller Lynn Ruehlmann presented her original drama "Steadfast and Spirited: Stories of the American Revolution" to the students of Johnson-Williams Middle School. Ruehlmann uses authentic period costumes and audience participation to teach about the lives of 3 real women and their experiences during the Revolutionary War. First, she told the story of Deborah Sampson, a servant who in 1778 earned her freedom. Eventually, she disguised herself as a man and signed up for the militia. Sampson's regiment was attacked by the Tories and she was shot in the thigh. The doctor treating her discovered that she was a woman, but did not turn her in.
by winchesterstar :: 2007-09-21 :: Misc information

The Fourth of July - The story behind the tax story
The total tax burden imposed by the British Empire on the colonies in 1775, was 1% of national income in the North, and 2.5% in the South. Against this "intolerable tax tyranny" of 1%, the colonists were persuaded to revolt. They fought and died for 7 years. They won in 1783. 1783-1788 they enjoyed tax-free living at the national level. The national government could only beg states to pay taxes voluntarily - They paid very few. Americans in 1788 chose to be taxed by their own national government. George Washington in 1794 then got to command the largest military force of his career: to crush a tax revolt against the Federal whiskey tax in Western Pennsylvania.
by lewrockwell :: 2007-07-07 :: Misc information

Test your American history
How much do you remember about American history? Test your knowledge: Why is the phrase "Boston Massacre" inaccurate? Because only 5 people died in the 1770 skirmish between the British and the colonists. --- Who yelled "The British are coming!" during the American Revolution? No one. Paul Revere, like many of the colonists who considered themselves British, yelled "The Regulars are coming out!" --- How many years stretched between the formation of the United States of America and the election of the first president? 11 years.
by enidnews :: 2007-07-02 :: Misc information

Explaining the Miracle of American Independence
The American victory in the Revolutionary War, George Washington observed, was "little short of a standing miracle." An ad hoc army backed by amateur militiamen; politically appointed generals, some with little military experience-none of it boded well for success against one of the world's great military powers. The venture teetered time and again on the brink of failure. Yet in the end the Americans succeeded beyond expectations. John Ferling retells the story of how they accomplished this feat, one of the great sagas of history, with insight in his book "Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence".
by americanheritage :: 2007-06-29 :: Misc information

History digging: Stanford wants Benjamin Logan's body; locals protest
Article no longer available from the original source.
Some consider General Benjamin Logan to be a war hero of the highest order. He led soldiers on Logan's Raid, burning Shawnee Indian towns and food supplies, which later spawned the Northwest Indian War. He lived and died in Shelby County, where his grave remains. But the city of Stanford, Ky. can make its own claims to his legacy, and now city would like to adopt his corpse. "He played a tremendous role in the settlement of Kentucky, out of Lincoln County." Stanford plans to rebuild Fort Logan and turn it into a park. They would also like to build a monument to Benjamin Logan, in the process having his body dug up and relocated to the Lincoln County site.
by shelbyconnect :: 2007-05-11 :: Misc information

Vermont was once an independent republic and it can be one again
Vermont seceded from the British Empire in 1777 and stood free for 14 years, until 1791. Its constitution, which preceded the U.S. Constitution by more than a decade, was the first to prohibit slavery in the New World and to guarantee universal manhood suffrage. Vermont issued its own currency, ran its own postal service, developed its own foreign relations and paid for its own militia. No other state, not even Texas, governed itself more or longer before giving up its nationhood and joining the Union. But the seeds of disunion have been growing since the beginning. Vermont sat out the War of 1812, and ordered troops fighting the British to disengage and come home.
by washingtonpost :: 2007-04-01 :: Misc information

Group retracing Revolutionary war hero's past with scenic route
Several groups hope to highlight historic and scenic areas in 4 New Hampshire towns by retracing travels of Revolutionary War hero John Stark, author of the state motto "Live Free or Die." Two regional planning commissions and the towns hope to establish a new General John Stark Scenic Byway. It would pass more than 45 historic, cultural and scenic points. "We want to reflect the history of those communities in terms of the Stark family and General John Stark, to tie them together into a scenic and cultural byway."
by nashuatelegraph :: 2007-03-27 :: Misc information

Historians tout Spanish in American Revolution
Flip to the index of an American history book and you'll find myriad references to the American Revolution. But you won't find much about the contributions of Texans, the Spanish or Bernardo de Gálvez to the success of the colonial troops. Two groups of historians gathered to talk about advances they are making in raising the awareness of the Hispanic contribution. "Latinos have no presence in history books," said Mimi Lozano, author of Somos Primos, an online newsletter about Hispanic heritage. Lozano is a board member of the Texas Connection to the American Revolution Assoc. "Historians are starting to realize that without the Spanish we wouldn't have become the country we are."
by mysanantonio :: 2007-02-20 :: Misc information

More Americans died as British prisoners than died in combat
In 1776, the British prisoner ship Glasgow had a hard time getting through the Long Island Sound partly because of the bad weather, but also because of the stops to bury the American prisoners who kept dying. Such was one of the stories, Edwin Burrows recounted at the Harding Township Historical Society's meeting. He talked about New York's City's forgotten role as a jailhouse, where more Americans died as British prisoners than died in combat during the American Revolution. During his research, Burrows uncovered a mystery: Richard Stockton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was taken as a prisoner - Yet the terms under which he was released are unknown.
by zwire :: 2007-02-02 :: Misc information

The 231st birthday of the founding of the U.S. Marine Corps
Founded by a resolution of the Continental Congress on Nov. 10, 1775, thousands of men have gone through the Marine Corps since. "In memory of them, it is fitting that we who are Marines should commemorate the birthday of our corps by calling to mine the glories of its long and illustrious history," John Price quoted John Lejeune, the 13th commandant of the Marine Corps, who offered a message to the corps on Nov. 1, 1921. Lejeune wrote that the Marines had won in every war from the Battle of Trenton to the Argonne. Since then, the Marines have fought in numerous other battles.
by canoncitydailyrecord :: 2006-11-15 :: Misc information

Contributions of Tucson To Cause Of 1776
While most know about the struggle by colonists for independence from Great Britain, few are aware of contributions made by people living in Tucson. In August of 1775, O'Conor, an Irishman serving in the Spanish army, recommended what is now Tucson as a location for a new fort. By then, war was raging along the Atlantic coast, between British regulars and American colonists. "Spain was at war with Britain at the same time. Every soldier and resident of the Presidios was asked by King Charles III of Spain to give two pesos each to the cause of the war with Britain." They donated a total of 459 pesos, $45,000 by today's value.
by kold :: 2006-07-14 :: Misc information

Revolutionary War News is an edited review of hand-picked news and articles related to American War of Independence 1775-1783.