How Taverns Fueled the American Revolution
Introduction In this interview: “What role did taverns, and let me just add on pubs, play in the American Revolution? … I would argue they were perhaps the most fundamental spaces in the coming of the revolution.” Watch this segment in the video below (00:28:58). Taverns and pubs were among the central gathering places of […]
The First Salute to America
For a fledgling nation fighting for its survival, any recognition of its sovereignty—however small and symbolic—becomes an important confirmation of its independence. And not surprisingly, for those who oppose that nascent nation’s independence, those very same gestures are viewed as potentially perilous steps toward full diplomatic recognition. That principle played out throughout the American Revolution. […]
The American Revolution Didn’t Free Women—It Strengthened Slavery
Introduction “The main beneficiaries of the American Revolution were white male heads of household… At the point of the American Revolution, many of the main conditions that constrained women—across different groups—and that held promise for their future liberty, remained the same.” Watch this segment in the video below (1:10:37) A revolution for liberty—but not for […]
Were Lexington and Concord Spontaneous? Rethinking April 19, 1775
April 19, 1775 was not a spontaneous uprising Did the of Battles of Lexington and Concord happen spontaneously? That’s what I learned in school. And I think that’s what most of us learned—if not explicitly, then through the way the story is told. From school, you probably remember Paul Revere’s Ride. The alarm spreading across […]
The Dutch Dilemma: Supporting the American Revolution
Introduction “Neutrality is emerging out of that. And in fact… what the Dutch want more than anything is to trade with the British and trade with the Americans.” Watch this segment in the video below (47:24) The Dutch claimed to be neutral. But were they really? Could a country claim neutrality while smuggling tea, gunpowder, […]
Did American Colonists think about China?
Boston Tea Party: Why China Mattered to the American Revolution – Part I China wasn’t part of the American Revolution… or was it? In the 1760s and 1770s, American colonists weren’t just thinking about liberty—they were thinking about status, taste, and refinement. Tea, porcelain, and lacquerware weren’t trivial imports. They were tied to British culture […]
A Monarch Who Almost Abdicated During the American Revolution
The American Declaration of Independence lists 27 grievances against King George III. It portrays him as an all-powerful tyrant—or as Dr. Richard Bell puts it, “Nero, Richard III, and Attila the Hun all rolled into one.” But that image misses something important. Behind the posture of control, the American Revolution tormented and wounded the King […]
Continental Soldier Citizens – America’s People’s Army
Introduction “That equated to roughly 20% of the male population. That’s the highest percentage in American history. World War II, 12%.” Watch this segment in the video below (01:04:22). Militias existed. Local defense existed. So why did the Continental Congress create the Continental Army—only to limit its power? What was this army actually fighting for? […]
Rethinking King George III: the American Revolution From the British Perspective
Introduction In this interview: “I think he’s having a real crisis of faith at that point, because we know that he will actually draft a letter of abdication, a letter of resignation to basically quit the royal family and go back to the German states where he was from.” Watch this section in the video […]
The Boston Massacre: A Permanent Rupture in the Imperial Family
Reconsidering the Boston Massacre – Part V The Boston Massacre can be understood as a kind of “family history”—and not just metaphorically. It was lived, quite literally, in the homes, streets, and relationships of Boston itself. When the Army Brought Its Families When British regiments arrived in 1768, they didn’t come alone. Alongside roughly 2,000 […]
