Tag: Revolutionary War

Today in History: January 10, 1776 – Thomas Paine Publishes Common Sense

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245 years ago today, Thomas Paine published his 47-page pamphlet, Common Sense, advocating the independence from Great Britain as not only achievable but inevitable. Descent had already been growing for some time, but Common Sense served to unite Patriots in the common cause of Independence. 

American History Study Guide (2013-14 Kogelschatz ...

Even George Washington praised it: “I find that Common Sense is working a powerful change there in the minds of many men. Few pamphlets have had so dramatic an effect on political events.” 

Common Sense is still considered one of the most important documents in American history.

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Expedition to Quebec

Posted on by Noelle
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In September of 1775, General George Washington approached Congress with the proposition that Benedict Arnold, under the command of General Philip Schuyler, should begin the invasion of Canada. This being decided, Arnold and some 1,100 men began their march through the wilderness just as winter was approaching.

Their plan was to reach their destination in a mere 20 days, not a mere 3 ½ months. These plans were based off a map drafted by Captain John Montresor back in 1760. A map with more mistakes than details. Which was power for the course in a plan were everything that could go wrong, did.

The terrain and the march were both difficult. Supplies and men were dwindling fast. This, in part, thanks to the sinking of supplies in ships commissioned by Arnold, but built by a British loyalist, who used green wood to hamper the American expedition. Looking for guidance and hoping for some valuable intelligence, Arnold wrote to a friend residing in Quebec, John Dyer Mercier. Unfortunately, though, his letter never reached Mercier, but instead landed in the hands of the British.

This, of course, meant that now the British were aware of Arnold’s approaching assault, giving them plenty of time to prepare for the Patriots’ advance.

By the time Arnold and his men reached the south bank of the St. Lawrence River – behind schedule – the British had already destroyed all of their boats. Thus, they were forced to move down the Chaudière, arriving at Pointe-Levi on November 9, a journey of approximately 350 additional miles.

Finally crossing the St. Lawrence during the night of November 13th and 14th, Arnold immediately demanded the garrison surrendered. When the commander, Lieutenant Colonel Allen Maclean refused, Arnold, with a raw militia of a mere 1,050 men, was given no choice but to withdraw and await backup.

Which didn’t arrive until December 3rd. Brigadier General Richard Montgomery arrived with only 300 men. Along the way, he’d been able to capture Fort St. Jean, but this also meant that he’d had little choice but to leave men behind as garrisons at various points along their route. 

Nevertheless, the two American generals evaluated the situation, deciding to attack Quebec on December 30th. But the battle went very poorly and tragically for the Americans. Arnold took a bullet to the leg, while Montgomery (and most of his officers) was killed by cannon fire.

By this point, of Arnold’s already rag-tag militia of 300 men was down to 100 men. This was worsened by the fact that many men began to depart as their conscriptions expired. But Arnold refused to give up, moving a single cannon around the outskirts of the fort to give off the illusion of a full invading army. Amazingly, they were able to hold until spring. 

Then, with the arrival of 4,000 British troops under the command of Major General John Burgoyne, Arnold was really left with no further choices.

He officially surrendered and retreated in June of 1776. The invasion of Canada had failed.

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We’ve Seen Anti-Capitalism Before

Posted on by Dennis
Liberty or death
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It really doesn’t matter what your favorite classic battle between good and evil is, we are living through the final battle real life. The last time we faced a war between good and evil on US soil, people road on horses and crossed the Atlantic in boats. Looking back no one can deny the Revolutionary War centered on business and trade. It was a classic war over capitalism. The colonies in the new world were controlled by big business out of England. Major business owners paid the king of England tons of money to gain the right to rule over colonies. Those business owners controlled all the imports and exports to that colony. In short terms those business owners paid the king to run monopolies. They determined what was imported and how much they charged for everything from nails to wheels, grease, tools, everything people in the new world needed to survive. Colonies grew their crops and fashioned products for sale. There was one place they could sell their goods. You guessed it. They could only sell to the business owner, or the governor assigned to run that colony. Trying to sell to any other source met with punishments, including seizure of goods, property, and executions. Things were serious. The governors controlled everything.

Today we are in an advanced society. Computers and a handful of tech companies have major control over every aspect of life. Like it or not we are being watched. Every step we take is being recorded and stored. Many of us think only God has that right, but tech companies don’t seem to be concerned about religion or what is right and wrong. The question is, if Biden and the communist win the election, what will change? We’ve already heard the cries to end capitalism. Exactly what does that mean? This world and country will always have businesses. Every country free and communist has businesses. What is the difference? The difference is, capitalism allows individuals to run businesses. That was what the Revolutionary War was all about. The right for people to own their own business, land, set prices, decide what to buy and search for the best price on the products the purchase. Simple. The only other alternative to capitalism is a monopoly. A monopoly run by the government. A return to the exact same circumstance that sparked the Revolutionary War.

What does this mean in this highly technically controlled world? We’ve already seen how big tech has censored the news, influenced an election, spread fear about a virus, closed businesses, put numerous people out of work, closed churches, and dozens of other details. We have yet to see the tip of the iceberg. How far will big tech and a communist government go to control the American public? Let’s take a look at how deep their plans go.

Links between social media and government have already been engineered and initiated in China. Search engines and programs scanning social media activity are recorded, sorted, and shared with the Chinese government to identify subversives. In the US we call those people patriots. In this big tech world that information can and will be used against patriots in a variety of ways.

Loans

Loans are applied for and approved online. When linked to records from search engines, sites viewed, and social media content, patriots can be directed to higher interest rates or denied loans.

Licenses

License fees can be controlled or denied.

Schooling

Tuition fees can be controlled or denied based on social views.

Taxes

Tax rates can be levied by social views.

Patriots will face tax audits.

Court Hearings

Patriots will face district attorneys, judges, and trials with predetermined verdicts.

Smart Cars

Government will have the ability to control smart cars through WIFI. They can stop your car from starting, send erroneous codes, in addition to tracking all your travel.

WIFI

Government will control Internet access and deny access to patriots.

Government will control what you can and can’t watch on smart TV.

Internet searches will be controlled.

Information you are allowed to view on the Internet will be controlled.

They have already used equality as an excuse to begin control.

Investments

Government will control all stock trading. Who can trade, what and when they can trade, and even set the prices stocks are traded.

Healthcare

Patriots will pay higher premiums, receive reduced services, and be denied basic health coverage.

This short list shows how it is possible for the left to make life a living hell for whomever they choose. Social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, and others have already compiled lists of people they consider subversive. A simple task with a computer and the right program a 6 year old could write. Gathering information, spying, and tracking have been a way of life before 2020. Today we are beginning to realize how that information can and will be used against us. Radicals on the left have already used social media to threaten those on the lists they have been compiling. Hints exposed by the media show us, the list here is only the tip of the iceberg. Soros is already calling for sanctions against and the over throw of countries with Christian values such as Poland and Hungary. All Christian values are a threat to the left. A threat we have to seriously consider. We’ve already seen laws passed to close churches, levy fines against churches, and arrest those who refuse to comply. First Amendment rights have been ignored for what the media has called, “the greater good of all of us.”

The left remains highly divided. We see divisions in Biden’s party surface after the election. Those supporting the new green deal want the spot light, first priority, and superior control over the other factions. For the most part radical groups like BLM have been rather quiet after the election. Leaders are enjoying the billions of dollars in donations received before the election and want nothing more than to blend into the woodwork and enjoy their booty. To think those were the people calling for an end to capitalism a few short months ago. Today their minds are set on enjoying every part of capitalism they can. We’ve seen how much they believed in their cause. Others like antifa remain active. They are set on world domination, war, violence, and a world without laws. We see how they live in a fantasy world driven into their heads through video games, speeches by the radical left, and a false concept of glory. Most of the organizers have long arrest records and they would be happy to lead the new national police force and even the military. Plans communists governments have followed in the past. What chance does America stand when those plans begin taking shape? We’ve seen it happen around the world. Today we see it happening on American soil faster than any of us ever expected.

We know voting is gone in America. Propriety rights and copy rights on computer software used to fix the election have been given precedence in courtrooms over the sacrifices of millions of people in uniform who have served this country since the Revolutionary War. Since the election we have been given glimpses of how deep and broad communists have been able to infiltrate every fiber of society. They are in our government at all levels. They run elections in many key states. Communist control is the school system at all levels. And of course major media networks fully cooperate in efforts to brainwash the America public.

We close out 2020 with the promise to build back America better and a cold, dark winter.

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The Battle of Bunker Hill

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Following the battles at Lexington and Concord, the retreating British armies made their way towards Boston. In Boston the British began to build up fortifications with the help of the Royal Navy.

By the 13th of June, the Colonial Army learned of the British plan to move their men to the Charlestown. In response, Col. William Prescott quickly moved 1,200 of his own troops to Bunker Hill and Breed’s Hill.

On June 17th, Gen. William Howe led his troops to Breed’s Hill, overlooking Bunker Hill. There, he had his troops opened fire against the Colonials. Their first two assaults were repulsed by the Colonists, who “let loose with a lethal barrage of musket fire” leaving heavy casualties on the British side (history).

The British retreated and regrouped. But by the time they began their third and final assault, the Colonists had already run out of ammunition. They easily took Breed’s Hill, and actually engaged with the Colonists in hand-to-hand combat. Heavily outnumbered, the Colonists were forced to retreat to Cambridge, via Bunker Hill.

Bunker Hill is significant because while the Americans may have lost, the battle also garnered great morale throughout their ranks. They had taken down nearly 1,000 enemy troops (92 of them officers), while the Colonists only lost 370 men, most of them in retreat.

This convinced the Americans that their cause was not in vain. They had proved that, though inexperienced, they could stand up against “The Regulars.”

Losses on the American side, unfortunately, included Gen. (Dr.) Joseph Warren and Major Andrew McClary.

Battle of Bunker Hill - Facts, Definition & Dates - HISTORY

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Midnight Ride of Paul Revere

Posted on by Noelle
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Most Americans are familiar with the poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. However, that’s not the full story. Or even a very accurate telling of the story.

Paul Revere’s ride took place during the evening of April 18-19, 1775. By this point, due to assaults from the British and the Loyalists, many Patriots had taken to hiding out in outlying villages. Paul Revere, however, remained in Boston, where he went about his daily life, keeping an eye on the soldiers, but mostly trying to remain inconspicuous. 

By mid-April, Revere had begun to take notice of British ships coming into harbor. He’d also began picking up tidbits of a forthcoming raid. It’s possible that his source was General Gage’s wife, a women who loved her country. So, on the 16th, he travelled to Concord, the temporary home of Congress and the storehouse for militia  weapons.

It was on his return home to Boston, that Revere met with fellow Patriots in Charlestown, where they planned to “provide notice” once the British started for Concord, alerting them to which course the British followed.

There was no guarantee that Revere or the other Patriots stationed in Boston would be able to escape in time, so a plan of action needed to be agreed upon. Thus, it was decided that the signal would be placed in the tower of the Old North Church. “One if by land, two if by sea.”

Then, on the night of April 18th, Revere received word from a local stable boy that the British were on the move. They were preparing boats to cross the Charles. Two if by sea.

At around 10, Joseph Warren relayed the warning to Sam Adams and John Hancock, both destined for the gallows should the British regulars ever catch up with them. He sent William Dawes, a young shoemaker, on the land route, through Roxbury, Brookline, and Cambridge. Meanwhile, Revere took the water route.

But on the opposite shore, Revere’s path nearly collided with two soldiers of the British army, and he was forced to alter his route to the north by two miles. But this was hardly the end of his bad luck. He pressed on, though, on to Lexington, where he met with Adams and Hancock at the home Jonas Clark. Eventually joined by William Dawes and the third rider, Dr. Samuel Prescott, the three riders set out for Concord. Of the three, only Prescott, with a vast knowledge of the countryside, reached Concord. During his journey, Dawes was thrown from his horse and captured by the British. Revere, also captured, used his interrogation time to inflate the numbers the Patriots had waiting for the British.

Revere was later released, and while heading back to Boston, heard the striking contrast church bills ring out and shots being fired, giving a good indication that they’d warned the Sons of Liberty in time. Sure enough, as Revere was fleeing Lexington with important papers in tow, he rode past militiamen, lining up for the opening struggle for American Independence.

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The Liberty Song

Posted on by Noelle
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The Liberty Song

Come, join hand in hand, brave Americans all,
And rouse your bold hearts at fair Liberty’s call;
No tyrannous acts shall suppress your just claim,
Or stain with dishonor America’s name.
In Freedom we’re born and in Freedom we’ll live.
Our purses are ready. Steady, friends, steady;
Not as slaves, but as Freemen our money we’ll give.

Our worthy forefathers, let’s give them a cheer,
To climates unknown did courageously steer;
Thro’ oceans to deserts for Freedom they came,
And dying, bequeath’d us their freedom and fame.
In Freedom we’re born and in Freedom we’ll live.
Our purses are ready. Steady, friends, steady;
Not as slaves, but as Freemen our money we’ll give.

The tree their own hands had to Liberty rear’d,
They lived to behold growing strong and revered;
With transport they cried, Now our wishes we gain,
For our children shall gather the fruits of our pain.
In Freedom we’re born and in Freedom we’ll live.
Our purses are ready. Steady, friends, steady;
Not as slaves, but as Freemen our money we’ll give.

Then join hand in hand, brave Americans all,
By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall;
In so righteous a cause let us hope to succeed,
For heaven approves of each generous deed.
In Freedom we’re born and in Freedom we’ll live.
Our purses are ready. Steady, friends, steady;
Not as slaves, but as Freemen our money we’ll give.

In Freedom we’re born and in Freedom we’ll live.
Our purses are ready. Steady, friends, steady;
Not as slaves, but as Freemen our money we’ll give.

Not quite as poplar as “Yankee Doodle” – and likely not at the top of your list of favorite patriotic songs, but “The Liberty Song” was certainly popular during the Revolutionary War.

Written in 1768 by John Dickinson, the Liberty Song was set to the British Navy tune “Heart of Oak.”

But it was hardly a noble British song. In fact, Dickinson “set out to reflect on the political strife caused by the Townshend Acts of 1767, the latest in a series of British crown taxes levied on the Colonies” (Source).

The song also commented on John Hancock’s ship the Liberty. The Liberty had been seized for smuggling. “This seizure, along with anger over the acts, precipitated riots and led to the declaration of a suspension of English imports by Boston merchants in August 1768, to begin December 31” (Source).

John Dickinson, a political activist, had become something of a triple threat – even before publishing his song. He was a successful lawyer, a businessman, a militia officer in the Revolutionary War, a member of both the First and the Second Continental Congresses, one of the primary drafters of the Articles of Confederation, a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, as well as the stated president of both Delaware (1781) and Pennsylvania (1782). Dickinson was also “known as the ‘Penman of the Revolution’ for his ‘Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania,’” an extremely popular political (Source).

“The Liberty Song” first appeared in the Pennsylvania Journal on July 7, 1768, and 9 other prominent publications throughout July. Then, on September 5, 1768, it also appeared in the Boston Chronicle.

From the beginning, it was widely popular, “sung throughout the colonies at political meetings, dinners, and celebrations” (Source). It united the Colonists as they confronted the many new laws placed upon them by England. Likewise, it, like “Yankee Doodle” became a popular anthem throughout the Revolution.

A year after it’s publication, (August 14, 1769) John Adams recorded in his diary that he and some other 350 Sons of Liberty sang The Liberty Song “at a Dorchester tavern where Dickinson’s younger brother was a guest of honor” (Source). In fact, in the mini-series John Adams, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and others can be seen singing this popular song of the era at a spectacularly flamboyant party while the two were visitors to France.

[Below: The Liberty Song  in John Adams]

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Yankee Doodle

Posted on by Noelle
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Yankee Doodle

Yankee Doodle went to town
A-riding on a pony,
Stuck a feather in his cap
And called it macaroni .
[Chorus]
Yankee Doodle keep it up,
Yankee Doodle dandy,
Mind the music and the step,
And with the girls be handy.

Surprisingly, “Yankee Doodle” was not initially an American song. In fact, it was written by a British army physician named Dr. Richard Schuckberg during the French and Indian War.

And, despite the pride Americans have taken in singing this song since the dawn of the American Revolution, the song actually mocks Americans. Just one verse of the initial version looked something like this:

Brother Ephraim sold his cow
And bought him a commission
And then he went to Canada
To fight for the nation;
But when Ephraim,
he came home
He proved an arrant coward,
He wouldn’t fight the
Frenchmen there
For fear of being devoured (Source).

Basically, the British thought that the Americans were unsophisticated simpletons. That is basically the exact translation of a Yankee Doodle. But the derogatory remarks got worse as the verse went on. The phrase ‘stuck a feather in his hat and called him macaroni’ implied that the Americans were such simpletons that they believed “that merely sticking a feather in his hat would turn him into a suave sophisticate like a European” (Source). See, macaroni did not refer to pasta, but to an English dandy with affected fashions and mannerisms. A dandy is, essentially, an immaculately and fashionably dressed man.

Then, in 1775, a minuteman by the name of Edward Bangs wrote a new version of the song. This told the story of a young boy visiting an army camp after George Washington had taken command.

And there was Captain Washington
And gentle folks about him;
They say he’s grown so tarnal proud
He will not ride without them. (Source).

Despite the negative connotations about the American Colonists, they’d come to enjoy the tune. And, during the Revolutionary War, they learned that, really, anyone could make up verses for Yankee Doodle. One of their very favorite versions went as follows:

Yankee Doodle is the tune
That we all delight in;
It suits for feasts, it suits for fun,
And just as well for fightin’.

In short, Yankee Doodle had become, well, a Yankee Anthem. The men could make up verses as they marched, and delighted in singing them loudly.

Then!

As the British marched to their surrender, “they marched with their heads turned toward the French troops. They were trying to pretend the Americans did not exist” (Source). So, Frenchman, Marquis de Lafayette, the commander of the Light Infantry Brigade, ordered the band to play Yankee Doodle. “With a blast of drums and a swirl of fifes, the musicians hurled themselves into their favorite song. Every British head was jerked around, and they stared into the faces of their former subjects” (Source).

[Below:  Yankee Doodle Band]

Image result for yankee doodle revolutionary war

 

The song remained popular throughout the Civil War, where the South took a cue from the British and made up unflattering lyrics about the North. Then, in 1904, the song took on a new look, when George M. Cohan wrote the lyrics to “The Yankee Doodle Boy” for his play Little Johnny Jones. The play was about a American jockey, Johnny Jones, and his horse Yankee Doodle, riding in the English Derby. And then in 1942 – during WWII – this version of the song was used in James Cagney’s Yankee Doodle Dandy, a musical about the life of George M. Cohan.

I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy
A Yankee Doodle, do or die
A real live nephew of my uncle Sam’s
Born on the Fourth of July
I’ve got a Yankee Doodle sweetheart
She’s my Yankee Doodle joy
Yankee Doodle came to London
Just to ride the ponies
I am a Yankee Doodle boy

The filming for Yankee Doodle Dandy began before Pearl Harbor, and it was released mere months afterward, meaning the timing was perfect for a good patriotic-themed movie. In fact, according to a story by Joan Leslie, the cast was “standing around the radio on set listening to the broadcast when Pearl Harbor was attacked,” after the broadcast, “Cagney called for a prayer and then director Michael Curtiz [exclaimed] ‘Well, we’ve got a great story to tell here about America. Let’s get to work and do a good job on it, and make it representative of our spirit today’” (Source).

Yankee Doodle Dandy premiered at New York’s Hollywood Theatre on Memorial Day weekend (May 29), where “tickets were available only to those who bought War Bonds” (Source). At this point in history, what Americans needed most was the flag-waving, the patriotic songs, and most of all, the “teary-eyed love for America” (Source).

Fact is, we need that today as much as we did during WWII or the Revolution. So, next time we hear “Yankee Doodle,” let’s remember our Forefathers and all those men who gave their lives, and let’s sing it out with the same pride our minutemen did.

[Below: Yankee Doodle Dandy premiere.]

Image result for yankee doodle dandy premiere

Yankee Doodle Dandy featuring the Army Chorus

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Up Next:

The Liberty Song

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