A Guide to the American Revolution, 1763-1783

The John Adams miniseries on HBO has renewed my interest in the American Revolution. I have been searching the Web for sites to read and have got out some of my old books like 1776 by David McCullough. One site I found this morning is A Guide to the American Revolution, 1763-1783. It is from the Library of Congress.

Here is the description of the site:

The digital collections of the Library of Congress contain a wide variety of material associated with the American Revolution, including manuscripts, broadsides, government documents, books, and maps. This guide compiles links to digital materials related to the American Revolution that are available throughout the Library of Congress Web site. In addition, it provides links to external Web sites focusing on the American Revolution and a bibliography containing selections for both general and younger readers.

This is a well done site and it is easy to find information on the activities of some future American Presidents by browsing. Take a look and you probably will find something interesting.

The Kent State Shootings and the Boston Massacre: Parallels?

I was happy to watch the first two episodes of John Adams on HBO Sunday night. This was some great TV! I really liked how John Adams was portrayed.

The first episode deals with the Boston Massacre. It was an incident involving the deaths of five civilians at the hands of British troops on March 5, 1770. John Adams made an unpopular but principled choice to defend the British soldiers. Despite great odds, he was able to get the soldiers acquitted. This episode of the HBO series shows how difficult this was for the future American President.

As I watched, I was reminded of the Kent State shootings of 1970. On May 4th of that year, four students were killed by Ohio National Guard soldiers. In both the Boston Massacre and the Kent State shootings, a crowd of civilians were engaged in violent protest. Soldiers were outnumbered and the crowds were throwing items at the soldiers. In each case, there are reports that members of the crowd were taunting for the soldiers to shoot.

In both cases, shots were fired resulting in death. Both the American revolutionaries of the 18th century and the anti-war opposition of the 20th century used the shootings to make a case against the government. However, with all honesty, it is hard to blame the soldiers in each incident. It is understandable why the shootings occurred even if they could have been avoided.

This parallel had not occurred to me before watching this new series on HBO. I expect more great things from this show. John Adams lived an interesting life and this show is proving equally interesting.

Thomas Jefferson FAQ

Thomas Jefferson FAQ. Presents a collection of popular questions and answers posted to Web sites on Thomas Jefferson. Each topic has a detailed response.

Example: JEFFERSON'S ACTIVITIES DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR

From 1776 to 1779, Jefferson was a member of the Virginia House ofDelegates. From 1779 to 1781, he was governor of Virginia at a time whenthe state was invaded by the British. His wife died in 1782, and that sameyear he was appointed a commissioner to negotiate peace, but the mission wassuspended. From 1783 to 1784, he served as Virginia delegate in Congress.From 1785 to 1789, he was minister to France.Jefferson faithfully served his country in many capacities during hislifetime, and often to his great financial detriment, since his serviceusually prevented him from properly managing his plantation.

John Adams: Unsung Hero of the American Revolution

John Adams: Unsung Hero of the American Revolution - Examines the role Adams played during the Independence movement.

From the site:

So John Adams has apparently not received his fair share of credit, and glory, in the birth of the United States of America, in light of his contribution to the most important event in its history. This was mostly because he spent his political career situated precariously between two opposing factions represented by some of the greatest men in early American history, the Hamilton Arch-Federalists, and the Jefferson/Madison/Monroe Republicans. Because of this, he was slighted, criticized, insulted, and denied his rightful place and credit in American history, simply because he stood up for what he thought was right for the people of this nation and the precepts and ideals which that nation stood for, a nation which he helped create. The result has been that Independence Day in the United States is celebrated on July 4th, instead of July 2nd.

So then, if you were a proud American citizen, or if you were someone like, let's say, Todd Zeile of the New York Mets baseball team (who has been claimed to be a direct descendant of both John Adams and John Quincy Adams), then you'll be lighting up an old stogie on July 4th every year, and on July 2nd also. And you'll be remembering John Adams and the Adams Family of Massachusetts, the real Adams Family, America's First Family in politics for the first century of its life.

Resonating with Washington Crossing the Delaware

Resonating with Washington Crossing the Delaware - Bus driver's experience tuning in to George Washington in commemoration of the miraculous turning of the American Revolutionary War in its darkest hour.

From the site:

The A&E channel was going to have a special movie about George Washington called "The Crossing" January 10th. The holidays were hectic and I forgot all about it. It's not too uncommon for me to forget something, I do it all the time.

It was a Monday morning and just as I arrived at work to drive my UTA bus an old song came on the radio, "Battle of New Orleans" by Johnny Hortin. I don't know if I quite remember the lyrics, but it goes something like this: "1814 took a little trip, With Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississippi...." As I sat and listened to it, the thought George Washington, crossed my mind and I looked at my watch--January 10th! Yeah, I was not going to miss the movie tonight. The song kept running through my head all day and I kept thinking about General George Washington. I thought about the Revolution and its struggle. I realized how lucky we are to have been a nation at all. All this thinking about Washington and the Revolutionary struggle was driving me crazy. I knew I had to quit thinking about it, so I did.

I was successful for a time until I pulled up behind a car with a window sticker of the original 13 colonies flag and the saying "We were, so you could be." George Washington popped back up in my thoughts for several more minutes and again I was thinking about the revolution. I resigned myself to thinking about it again. There seemed to be no way to stop my thoughts. Again, I managed to.

The Hornet's Nest: A Novel of the Revolutionary War

The Hornet's Nest: A Novel of the Revolutionary War This is Jimmy Carter's fiction book about the Revolutionary War in the South. I have read through it and I am impressed that President Carter can write well and like a romance novel writer at the same time.

From the book description:

The first work of fiction by a President of the United States -- a sweeping novel of the American South and the War of Independence

In his ambitious and deeply rewarding novel, Jimmy Carter brings to life the Revolutionary War as it was fought in the Deep South; it is a saga that will change the way we think about the conflict. He reminds us that much of the fight for independence took place in that region and that it was a struggle of both great and small battles and of terrible brutality, with neighbor turned against neighbor, the Indians' support sought by both sides, and no quarter asked or given. The Hornet's Nest follows a cast of characters and their loved ones on both sides of this violent conflict -- including some who are based on the author's ancestors.

At the heart of the story is Ethan Pratt, who in 1766 moves with his wife, Epsey, from Philadelphia to North Carolina and then to Georgia in 1771, in the company of Quakers. On their homesteads in Georgia, Ethan and his wife form a friendship with neighbors Kindred Morris and his wife, Mavis. Through Kindred and his young Indian friend Newota, Ethan learns about the frontier and the Native American tribes who are being continually pressed farther inland by settlers. As the eight-year war develops, Ethan and Kindred find themselves in life-and-death combat with oppos- ing forces.

With its moving love story, vivid action, and the suspense of a war fought with increasing ferocity and stealth, The Hornet's Nest is historical fiction at its best, in the tradition of such major classics as The Last of the Mohicans.

George Washington: A Brief Biography

George Washington: A Brief Biography This is a biref, but uneven, biography of the first American President George Washington. It is written by Miland Brown.

From the site:

George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Here he received little formal education. Historians have speculated that he attended a school in Fredericksburg, or may have been tutored by an indentured servant. Washington lived with his mother until the age of 16.

At the age of 15, Washington took a job as an assistant land surveyor. In 1748, he joined a surveying team that was sent to the Shanandoah Valley to help survey the land holdings of Lord Fairfax. By 1749, he established a good reputation as a land surveyor and was appointed to the official land surveyor of Culpeper County.

Washington’s father owned several farms. When his father died in 1743, his stepbrother Lawrence received the Mount Vernon Estate. Lawrence Washington died nine years later. His will stated that if his daughter, Sarah, died without baring children the Mount Vernon Estate would go to George Washington. Sarah Washington died two years later without baring children. Washington began his military career on February 1,1753, when he was sworn into the Virginia militia. He started as an adjutant for the southern part of the colony. Next, he set out to Fort Le Beouf on Lake Erie. He sent a message stating for the French to leave the land alone. The French denied his message. Four months later, they promoted him to lieutenant colonel. After defeating some French scouting party in southern Pennsylvania, they promoted him to colonel in charge of all the Virginian troops. Colonel Washington led an attack at Fort Necessity, Pennsylvania, where he and 400 troops surrendered to the French and Indians. In October Washington resigned as colonel and returned to Mount Vernon. Governor Dinwidde begged and pleaded for his return. He denied at first, but decided to regain control. Washington remained colonel for the rest of the war.

Teaching about George Washington.

Teaching about George Washington. This is an essay which gives an overview of the life of Geroge Washington. It also provides teachers with ideas for teaching about this American President.

From the site:

No generation in American history has matched that of the founding era for its array of talented and influential political thinkers and actors. John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington all possessed certain traits of character and intellect that significantly shaped the new United States of America and its direction for generations that followed. Among these personalities, George Washington is the most difficult for students to know. Compared to Jefferson, Hamilton, or most other important historical figures, our common images of Washington--seen on the dollar bill and quarter, crossing the Delaware River, or enshrined in the impersonal Washington Monument--are cold and distant. Today's perceptions of Washington seem to validate Ralph Waldo Emerson's maxim, "Every hero becomes a bore at last."

Do most students understand the importance of George Washington as a military and political leader during a time that demanded extraordinary leadership? The bicentennial of Washington's death in 1999 is an appropriate time to reflect upon his role and place in the school curriculum.