Posted on 06/27/2014 8:43:12 AM PDT by Pharmboy
The ultimate historical traveler's guide to the American Revolution Nearly 150 chronologically arranged entries on everything from meeting halls to battlefields Includes contemporary accounts and the writings of leading historians, offering site-by-site details and an overview of the Revolution Written for the vast and ever-growing crowd of history tourists
In 1996, Congress commissioned the National Park Service to compile a list of sites and landmarks connected with the American Revolution that it deemed vital to preserve for future generations. Some of these sites are well known--Bunker Hill, Valley Forge, Fort Ticonderoga--and in no danger of being lost; others less so-- Blackstock's Plantation in South Carolina or Bryan's Station in Kentucky--and more vulnerable. But all are central to the story of our nation's fight for independence. From battlefields to encampments, meeting houses to museums, these places offer us a chance to rediscover the remarkable men and women who founded this nation and to recognize the relevance of not just what they did, but where they did it.
Edited by Frances H. Kennedy, The American Revolution: A Historical Guidebook takes readers to nearly 150 of these sites, providing an overview of the Revolution through an exploration of the places where American independence was articulated, fought for, and eventually secured. Beginning with the Boston Common, first occupied by British troops in 1768, and closing with Fraunces Tavern in New York, where George Washington bid farewell to his officers on December 4, 1783, Kennedy takes readers on a tour of the most significant places of Revolutionary history. Accompanied by illuminating excerpts and essays from some of the foremost scholars in the field, including David McCullough, Barbara Tuchman, David Hackett Fischer, Eric Foner, and John Ferling, the entries move in a roughly chronological order from the pre-Revolutionary years up through 1787. Taken together, the combination of site, essay, and excerpt provides rich context and overview, giving a sense of the major figures and events as well as the course of the Revolution, and cover topics ranging from the Boston Tea Party to the frontier wars.
The guide is encyclopedic in scope and covers a wide geographical sweep. Accompanied by historical maps, as well as a number of illuminating primary documents including the Declaration of Independence and letters from John Adams and George Washington, it offers a comprehensive picture of how the Revolutionary War unfolded on American soil, and also points readers to the best writing on the subject in the last fifty years. The American Revolution: A Historical Guidebook is an essential companion for anyone interested in the story and history of our nation's founding.
It does look like a great book, though...
The RevWar/Colonial History/General Washington ping list...
Yes, Zulu...Mrs. Pharmboy and I really liked his first one and will see this one, no doubt! Thanks!
Bttttt
I received notice from AMC yesterday that TURN has been renewed for a 2nd season. Another 10 episodes will air next spring. In the mean time, they will be re-playing all of this year’s episodes.
I hope they don’t trash it up. I have all episodes recorded so far, and most of them are OK for teen viewing. But not much else on AMC is OK for teen viewing.
I was sorry to read the other day about how far the TURN screenwriters deviated from actual history in the series. (Abe Woodhull was not married, for instance, so that whole story line about how his wife found his code book and was jealous of Anna is completely made up.)
Stick to the facts, please.
bkmk
Yes...could not agree more. I guess they felt they had to tart it up a bit. Overall, my problem with the series is not enough action; too much talky talk.
Practically all [75%] of the New York State Revolutionary War records were destroyed in Albany fires in 1850` and 1911. - Hardly anything left.
However the British Museum and Royal Library have hundreds of Revolutionary War maps and documents which they never made public because it would embarrass them.
Several British maps, however, somehow managed to be seen and appear to show battles that are not found recorded anywhere but appear as "battle stars" on old British maps, e.g. 1777. Some locals have investigated these sites and found evidences of forts and battles there with many British and American artifacts.
Other accounts of battles found nowhere else can be found in the histories of the local towns in Vermont and New Hampshire, accounts by the soldiers themselves. Other accounts also exist in oral traditions of the Indian allies of the British who accompanied Burgoyne in his invasion force from Canada in 1777; also some Indian allies also went raiding ahead of and also accompanied British troops during the War of 1812, which battles are not recorded on any archival documents , but exist in the oral histories of the Canadian tribes, local oral histories and in old-name places of the local areas. Other accounts exist in the oral histories of the local towns.
These accounts also give details of battles between retreating British troops who did not surrender [but escaped northwest thru the mountains toward Canada but ran head-on into mountain militias just waiting for them] and militias and regulars after Burgoyne`s defeat at Saratoga.
The only way to determine this is to enquire into the local historians who know all this stuff. Also local family bibles contain accounts of their ancestors fighting in battles with the British that are not found anywhere else.
viz 6 = "The fire in 1857, [sic] destroyed all other copies of what history may have been written down. Therefore the history of the town [Ticonderoga]doesn’t go prior to 1858.
A fire in 1974 also destroyed all the records in Ticonderoga. 7 The fire of 1911 destroyed old maps of the Adirondacks in the New York State Library in Albany, NY.; 500,000 books burned up. The Assembly Library and the Senate Library also burned up in the 1911 fire.
8 This fire destroyed 80% of all the New York State Revolutionary War archives.
[Source- Mountain Lake PBS - tv channel, June 2011 broadcast]
All the 1775-1874 records of Crown Point, Ticonderoga, Schroon Lake, NY were destroyed in a fire in 1937. Ticonderoga and Schroon Lake were part of Crown Point during the late 1700`s-early 1800`s.
soory typo= A fire in 1874 also destroyed all the records in Ticonderoga
Yes, and they changed the location and timing of battles, etc., according to the article I read.
I wish that they’d show more of the spycraft. They gloss over it so quickly that it’s hard to tell whata they are doing.
Oh, yes. Anna and Selah Strong never owned a pub. They were quite wealthy, and Selah was a judge.
Hard pressed to find *anything* in the documentary world that is not grossly inaccurate and/or over produced. Truth is a precious commodity. The entertainment community seems intent on accommodating itself to infantile sensibilities.
Thanks for your informative post. I used to live around Albany—that was the only fire that I knew about re the RevWar.
Could you posit a counterpart treating of the Civil War?
1800 U.S. War Department records burned [”Most records in War Department custody were destroyed by fire, November 8, 1800. Many of the remaining Revolutionary War records were lost during the War of 1812. As a result there were, until 1873, few records for the period before 1789 in War Department custody. In 1873 Secretary of War William Belknap purchased for the Federal Government the papers of Timothy Pickering, who between 1777 and 1785 had been a member of the Board of War, Adjutant General of the Continental Army, and Quartermaster General; the papers of Samuel Hodgdon, Commissary General of Military Stores for several years during the war; miscellaneous contemporary papers; and some minor groups of records and single record items. In 1888 these records were transferred to the Department of State. By acts of July 27, 1892 (27 Stat. 275) and August 18, 1894 (28 Stat. 403), Congress authorized the transfer to the War Department of all military records for the Revolutionary War period then in the custody of other Executive branch departments. These military records were transferred between 1894 and 1913 from the Departments of State, the Interior, and the Treasury. In 1914 and 1915, under authority of an act of March 2, 1913 (37 Stat. 723), the War Department made photographic copies of Revolutionary War records in the custody of public and private institutions in VA, NC, and MA. The entire collection was transferred to the National Archives in 1938. Although its contents span the period 1629-1915, the bulk of the information
deals with the period 1775-83.-http://www.archives.gov/research_room/federal_records_guide/war_department_collection_of_revolutionary_war_rg093.html]
1804 U.S. War Department records burned
1814 Library of Congress destroyed by British troops
1851 67% of collections of Library of Congress destroyed by fire
1851 Historical markers erected in Ticonderoga have disappeared
1857 Fire in Ticonderoga destroys records up to that time [Ancient Ti road records also destroyed]
1857 Vermont State Library in Montpelier destroyed by fire; contained many French & Indian War and Revolutionary War diaries and other MSS which were destroyed
Several British maps, however, somehow managed to be seen and appear to show battles that are not found recorded anywhere but appear as "battle stars" on old British maps, e.g. 1777. Some locals have investigated these sites and found evidences of forts and battles there with many British and American artifacts.
I hope somebody is collecting all this material.
I was watching a British episode of Antiques Roadshow this morning and they showed a beautiful "Flow Blue" Staffordshire tea pot that pictured American ships on the sides winning a sea battle over the English.
It seems that a lot of dishes were made to commemorate such battles. They were shipped to America and sold like hot cakes. I wonder if such records could be found in china for some of the land battles?
The English were very good about dating their wares.
Have you watched all of the episodes? If I still had teens I would not want them to view some of the sex scenes.
I was enjoying TURN until Woodhall and Anna became adulterers. Don’t think I will watch next season.
Thanks for that information.
It’s also $10 cheaper at booksamillion.com.
I use them all of the time. No political transgressions, AFAIK, and you can get free shipping.
Thanks for the heads-up on this book.
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