India and the Global Forces Behind the British Defeat at Yorktown

In Analyzing American Revolution, the global nature of the Revolutionary War has become an inescapable theme. As you will see in the examples below, many of our guest scholars reference and discuss how the fighting in the Thirteen American Colonies transformed into a truly world-spanning conflict. It should therefore come as no surprise that Britain’s […]

Who Refused Britain’s Call for Troops in the American Revolution

Unlike the French, the Habsburgs and the Russians, the British Empire was predominantly a naval power. This was both its great strength and a persistent weakness. It was a strength because, well into early 20th century, no rival could match Britain’s command of the seas. Naval dominance meant control over global shipping lanes—the lifeblood of […]

Samuel Adams and the Question of Independence

On April 3, 1776—just three months before the Declaration of Independence—Samuel Adams wrote from Philadelphia, where he was serving as a Massachusetts delegate to the Second Continental Congress. In a letter to fellow Massachusetts native Reverend Samuel Cooper of Boston, he posed a striking question: “Is not America already independent? Why then not declare it?” […]

“We Have It In Our Power to Begin the World Over Again”

In “Common Sense”, Thomas Paine wrote, “We have it in our power to begin the world over again” to urge American colonists to break from British rule and create a new, independent, and democratic republic. In the answer to our quiz, we mentioned there is a twist: this famous sentence was not published in the […]

American Revolution vs. American Isolationism

One of the most fascinating aspects of the Revolution — and one we were barely taught in school — is its global context. What many of us learned in school was a story of colonial protest, British taxation, and rising American resistance. That story is not wrong. But it is incomplete. The American Revolution was […]

Christmas in the Revolutionary Era: Traditions, War, Nation-Building – Part III

Christmas Beyond Washington’s Crossing This post isn’t just about dramatic Christmas moments from the American Revolution, like Washington crossing the Delaware River, nor is it a light look at decorations, caroling, or festive foods. Instead, it explores the evolution of how we Americans have observed and celebrated Christmas, which, in many ways, is revealing of […]

Christmas in the Revolutionary Era: Traditions, War, Nation-Building – Part II

Christmas Beyond Washington’s Crossing This post isn’t just about dramatic Christmas moments from the American Revolution, like Washington crossing the Delaware River, nor is it a light look at decorations, caroling, or festive foods. Instead, it explores the evolution of how we Americans have observed and celebrated Christmas, which, in many ways, is revealing of […]

Christmas in the Revolutionary Era: Traditions, War, Nation-Building – Part 1

Christmas Beyond Washington’s Crossing This post isn’t just about dramatic Christmas moments from the American Revolution, like Washington crossing the Delaware River, nor is it a light look at decorations, caroling, or festive foods. Instead, it explores the evolution of how we Americans have observed and celebrated Christmas, which, in many ways, is revealing of […]

Committees of Safety: Local Guardians of the American Revolution

Guarding the Revolution at Home: The Forgotten Committees While battles are often what we remember about the American Revolution, the local Committees of Safety played a critical role in the theatre of war, albeit away from the battlefields. Acting as enforcers, organizers, and guardians, these committees ensured revolutionary laws and ethos were followed, supplies reached […]

Committees of Correspondence: Backbones of the American Revolution

Grassroots Foundation of the American Revolution: Ink & Quil Before Bullets and Battles The American Revolution began long before the “shot heard ’round the world.” This is the story of how Americans, armed with ink, quill, and paper, corresponded through networks of committees to defy British Rule and later wage a war against the Empire. […]