After the Battle of Saratoga, the British changed strategy and attempted to tap into the supposedly large loyalist population of the southern colonies. At the start the strategy seemed to work. In May, 1780, the city of Charleston, S.C. fell and in August the Battle of Camden resulted in Read more
One of the most consequential battles of the Revolutionary War occurred on August 16, 1777. The Battle of Bennington was part of the Saratoga Campaign. British Gen. John Burgoyne was marching south from Canada to try to cut off New York from New England. The advance did not go Read more
The first chapter book I read was about Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys. My 6th grade teacher encouraged us to read that was a competition that I was good at. It was the start of a lifelong love of history books. I have read hundreds of history Read more
Today I get to write about one of my favorite battles of the Revolutionary War. A battle that has been largely forgotten, even though it was an almost perfect performance by an American army. In 216 B.C., Hannibal destroyed a Roman army in the Battle of Cannae. He managed to Read more
In 1860, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was concerned about the possibility of a civil war. Being an abolitionist, Longfellow wanted the North to stand up to the South. He wanted to write an inspiration poem in favor of fighting for the Union. The result was “Paul Revere’s Ride”. He did Read more
Deborah was born on Dec. 17, 1760 in Plympton, Mass. She was the great-great granddaughter of William Bradford. She was one of seven kids. When she was five, her father did not return from a sea voyage. It was thought he had perished, but actually he abandoned his family. Read more
Kazimierz Michal Wladyslaw Wiktor Pulaski was born to a noble family in Warsaw on March 6, 1745. He loved the military so he became a cavalryman when he grew up. He fought the Russians, but his side lost. A failed attempt to kidnap the pro-Russian king got Pulaski exiled. Read more
The 14th Continental Regiment twice had a role in saving the American Revolution. If not for them, the United States would have gone the route of Canada. The unit was created as a militia in January, 1775 in anticipation of trouble with England. Most of the men were fishermen. Read more
I have been a fan of history since junior high. When I became an American History teacher, I made it my goal to make my course as interesting as possible. I did this through anecdotes that I encountered over the years. When I retired, I started this web site to Read more
When I was in high school, I wrote report on Banestre Tarleton. I do not remember why I chose him. I certainly was not a Tory, but I must have been attracted to his villainy. It seems appropriate to explore this fascinating man again, after almost 50 years, because Read more