How Did West Virginia Get Its Name?
Description
West Virginia native Catherine Moore looks at how the state of West Virginia got its name.
Benjamin Franklin
Description
Author Walter Isaacson discusses the life of Benjamin Franklin and his many contributions to the prosperity of colonial Philadelphia and his place in American history.
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Quantity of Soldiers—not Quality of Their Aim—Won Battles
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Question
Why did armies, during the American Revolution and at other times, fight with lines of men standing near each other? Why did they not simply fight from behind cover?
Answer
The use of linear formations in European army infantries was one element of what military historians have called the "Military Revolution," though they have disagreed on the period within early modern history—the Hundred Years' War (13371453), 15501660, or 16601720—during which the tactic became most significant.
In linear formations, infantry troops, armed beginning in the late 17th century with bayoneted flintlock muskets, marched in columns until they were ordered by commanders to form lines, usually three-to-five men in depth, and charge enemy targets while firing in unison. The tactic did not require skilled marksmanship or out-of-the-ordinary heroics, but relied instead on well-drilled and disciplined soldiers delivering massive amounts of firepower.
Line charges, especially when accompanied by artillery fire that arrived at enemy lines just as the advancing soldiers came into firing range, could be decisive in battle. Defending armies, arranged in similarly cohesive lines, could respond with corresponding volleys of ammunition and fend off larger forces. Army size was greatly increased due to the institutionalization of linear formations within a framework of centralized bureaucratic organization, as was the impact of the military on societies.
Historian Guy Chet has discredited a popular "Americanization thesis" that attributed colonists in militias during the late 17th and early 18th centuries with adopting guerrilla warfare tactics learned in battles with Indians as more appropriate than linear formations for fighting in wilderness terrains. Chet finds a lack of evidence for the claim and maintains that contrary to popular belief, the initial victories of American forces in the first battles of the War of Independence were not due to so-called American tactics, but from the failure of the British forces to adhere to established tactics and strategies.
While guerrilla warfare did break out in the backcountry of the South during the final year of the Revolutionary War, both sides for the most part engaged in battles fought according to tactics developed during the Military Revolution.
Bibliography
Clifford J. Rogers, ed., The Military Revolution Debate: Readings on the Military Transformation of Early Modern Europe. Boulder: Westview Press, 1995.
Jeremy Black, European Warfare, 16601815. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994.
Guy Chet, Conquering the American Wilderness: The Triumph of European Warfare in the Colonial Northeast. Amherst and Boston: University of Massachusetts Press, 2003.
Princeton Battlefield State Park and Clarke House [NJ]
Description
On January 3, 1777, the peaceful winter fields and woods of Princeton Battlefield were transformed into the site of what is considered to be the fiercest fight of its size during the American Revolution. During this desperate battle, American troops under General George Washington surprised and defeated a force of British Regulars. Coming at the end of "The Ten Crucial Days" which saw the well-known night crossing of the Delaware River and two battles in Trenton, the Battle of Princeton gave Washington his first victory against the British Regulars on the field. The battle extended over a mile away to the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). Also in the park stands the Clarke House. Built by Thomas Clarke in 1772, the house was the scene of heavy fighting during the Battle of Princeton. General Hugh Mercer was mortally wounded nearby and was carried to the Clarke House, where he died nine days after the battle.
A second website for the site, maintained by the Princeton Battlefield Area Preservation Society, can be found here.
The site offers tours, lectures, and occasional recreational and educational events (including living history events).
Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site [NY]
Description
Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site consists of the 1754 Georgian-style Ellison residence, remains of a flour mill, and the Jane Colden Native Plant Sanctuary. The site presents daily life in the 18th-century mid-Hudson Valley. At various times during the Revolutionary War, the home served as the quarters of both Major General Henry Knox (1750-1806), Commander of the America artillery, and Major General Horatio Gates (circa 1727-1806), perhaps best known for his defeat at the Battle of Camden.
The site offers demonstrations, costumed interpreters, gardens, guided tours, educational programs, interpretive signage, and re-enactments.
Stony Point Battlefield State Historic Site [NY]
Description
This site preserves the location of the Battle of Stony Point, one of the last major Revolutionary War battles in the northeastern colonies. This is where Brigadier General Anthony Wayne led his corps of Continental Light Infantry in a daring midnight attack on the British, seizing the site's fortifications and taking the British garrison as prisoners on July 16, 1779. The site features a museum, which offers exhibits on the battle and the 1826 Stony Point Lighthouse, as well as interpretive programs, such as reenactments highlighting 18th-century military life, cannon and musket firings, cooking demonstrations, and children's activities.
The site offers exhibits, tours, demonstrations, educational programs, and occasional recreational and educational events (including living history events).
Teed Off: The Tea Party, Then and Now
Description
According to Backstory:
The founding fathers have never really gone out of style. But there are times when their popularity surges. Times like now, when conservative protesters routinely take to the streets with three-cornered hats and “Don’t Tread on Me” flags.
In this podcast, the History Guys take a closer look at the Tea Party Movement, and ask what, if anything, 2010 has in common with 1773. They also consider what the history of American populism portends for the Tea Party’s future.
Hugh Mercer Apothecary [VA]
Description
This 18th-century building was restored to house the Hugh Mercer Apothecary. Dr. Mercer served the citizens of Fredericksburg with medicines and treatments of the time. Leeches, lancets, snakeroot, and crab claws made up just some of the remedies. Dr. Mercer practiced medicine for 15 years in Fredericksburg. His patients included Mary Washington. Dr. Mercer left his practice to join the Revolutionary army and died as a Brigadier General at the Battle of Princeton.
The site offers tours.
The Articles of Confederation
Description
This mini documentary, produced by NBC, describes the Articles of Confederation, which suited the goals of the Americans when they were fighting for freedom from the monarchy. These documents, which favored state's rights over federal power, were inadequate after the Revolution when a strong central government became necessary.
To view the documentary, follow the link below and scroll down past "Thomas Paine and 'Common Sense'" and "Women in the American Revolution."
Patriots, Revolution, and Constitutions
Description
Patrick Manning, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of World History at the University of Pittsburgh seeks to widen Constitutional understanding by situating the Constitution's foundation in a global context. He urges listeners to consider social movements from around the world in the quest to understand ways in which the U.S. Constitution was both unique and representative of the era.
To listen to this lecture, select "Lecture Audio: Patriots, Revolution and Constitutions Presentation" under "Presentation Materials."