Emerging Revolutionary War

On September 20, 1777 an American force under General Anthony "Mad Anthony" Wayne was surprised and routed by British forces under General Charles Grey. Wayne's entire division was put to flight losing nearly 300 men (with the British losing just a dozen). Called by many the "Massacre at Paoli", the fight was one of many that was part of the 1777 Philadelphia Campaign.

Join ERW as we welcome back historian and author Michael C. Harris, expert on the Philadelphia Campaign, as we discuss the battle, its role in the campaign, the personalities and the myths around Paoli. Harris is now working on his third volume in his much acclaimed Philadelphia Campaign trilogy, that will include the Battle of Paoli.

Approximately 5,000 African-American or Black soldiers fought for the patriot cause in the American Revolution. Some joined state militias, some joined the Continental Army, and some sailed the seas with the fledgling navies of the United Colonies. William and Benjamin Frank were two of those 5,000. Both were free Blacks from Rhode Island who enlisted in the 2nd Rhode Island Regiment in 1777. Their father was a veteran of the French and Indian War, so the family was well-established in military tradition.

The 2nd Rhode Island fought and defended Fort Mercer during the campaigns of 1777 and survived harsh winters at Valley Forge and Morristown before returning to Rhode Island to literally defend the hearth and home from the British. Author and historian Dr. Shirley L. Green, adjunct professor at the University of Toledo, a 26-year veteran of the law enforcement community, and current Director of the Toledo Police Museum in Ohio, “takes the reader on a journey based on her family’s history, rooted in its oral tradition.”

Her book Revolutionary Blacks, Discovering the Frank Brothers, Freeborn Men of Color, Soldiers of Independence was published by Westholme Publishing in November 2023.

Join Emerging Revolutionary War historians Mark Maloy, Rob Orrison, and Mark Wilcox as we discuss the Irish in the American Revolution. We’ll talk about the Irish who fought with Washington’s army, those who fought with the British, and how the events in American ultimately spilled over into Ireland and the Rebellion of 1798. We'll also discuss how we have come to remember the role of the Irish in the Revolution. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

From the hard lessons learned on the battlefields of New York, to his appointment as Quartermaster General during the harsh winter at Valley Forge, his role in convicting the British spy who colluded to obtain the plans to West Point, to the godsend who took command of the ragged remnants of the Southern Continental Army, Nathanael Greene's complex perseverance and brilliant strategies broke military doctrines.

Join ERW as we welcome author Salina Baker as we discuss her historic novel about Nathanael Greene. We will discuss the life of Greene, his wartime experiences, why he has been forgotten by many and why she found his life story so interesting.

Join Emerging Revolutionary War as we chat with historian and author Patrick O'Kelley about the brutal civil war that broke out in North Carolina in 1781. Whigs (commonly known as Patriots, supporting American Independence) and Tories (supporting loyalty to Great Britain) fought a brutal and bloody war against each other in eastern/central North Carolina called "The Tory War." Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene, wrote that the war in the Carolinas ‘Nothing but blood and slaughter has prevailed among the Whigs and Tories, and their inveteracy against each other must, if it continues, depopulate this part of the country.’

Patrick O'Kelley has authored numerous books on the American Revolution, including his four-volume all-encompassing series on South Carolina in the American Revolution titled "Nothing But Blood and Slaughter: The Revolutionary War in the Carolinas" and "“Be Cool and Do Mischief: Francis Marion’s Orderly Book.”

“Their Immortal Honour Made a Brave Defense” The Maryland Line was one of the preeminent stalwarts of the American army, both in the northern and southern theaters of the war. Join Emerging Revolutionary War historians in a discussion about the men from the Old Line State and their military acumen during the American Revolutionary War. The discussion will also highlight their memory and memorialization.

On June 17, 1775, British and patriot militia clashed on Breed's Hill. Although the battle would take the name of the other hill in the area, Bunker Hill, the engagement ended as a British victory. Yet, the ramifications of this engagement reverberated through the rest of the American Revolution and has seared itself into the collective American memory. Join Dr. Paul Lockhart, Professor of History at Wright State University and an author of a book on the battle, along with Emerging Revolutionary War historians to examine why.

To kick off the new year, Emerging Revolutionary War is joined by Tom Hand, author, historian, and founder of Americana Corner. However, in the later stages of 2023, Tom added published book author to his lengthy list of accomplishments. His book, American Triumph is now available via his website. The book, “masterly blends the personal experiences and historic milestones” of three luminaries of the early Republic, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and John Adams. The book, with a plethora of graphics, sidebars, and informational tidbits aims to provide a “captivating collection of stories” for the “everyday American.”

Benedict Arnold committed treason― for more than two centuries, that’s all that most Americans have known about him. Yet Arnold was much more than a turncoat―his achievements during the early years of the Revolutionary War defined him as the most successful soldier of the era. GOD SAVE BENEDICT ARNOLD tells the gripping story of Arnold’s rush of audacious feats―his capture of Fort Ticonderoga, his Maine mountain expedition to attack Quebec, the famous artillery brawl at Valcour Island, the turning-point battle at Saratoga―that laid the groundwork for our independence. Arnold was a superb leader, a brilliant tactician, a supremely courageous military officer. He was also imperfect, disloyal, villainous. One of the most paradoxical characters in American history, and one of the most interesting. GOD SAVE BENEDICT ARNOLD does not exonerate him for his treason―the stain on his character is permanent. But Kelly’s insightful exploration of Arnold’s career as a warrior shines a new light on this gutsy, fearless, and enigmatic figure. In the process, the book offers a fresh perspective on the reasons for Arnold’s momentous change of heart.

We are excited to welcome author and historian Dr. Brooke Barbier, who takes a new look at John Hancock in her new book “King Hancock The Radical Influence of a Moderate Founding Father.” Dr. Barbier dispells some myths and adds new insight into the life of Hancock. Join us for a great discussion on all things King Hancock!

In Tea, James R. Fichter reveals that despite the so-called Boston Tea Party in 1773, two large shipments of tea from the East India Company survived and were ultimately drunk in North America. Their survival shaped the politics of the years ahead, impeded efforts to reimburse the company for the tea lost in Boston Harbor, and hinted at the enduring potency of consumerism in revolutionary politics.

Join us as we welcome Glenn Williams, PhD as he examines the political and economic causes of the American Revolution beginning at the end of the Seven Years War / French and Indian War through the resistance movements. He will dispel or clarify some of the popular beliefs about the grievances that eventually led the thirteen colonies to break with the Mother Country. Glenn Williams is a retired U.S. Army officer that until recently also enjoyed a "second career" as a military historian. He retired as a senior Historian after 18 years at the U.S. Army Center of Military History and 3 1/2 years as the historian of the American Battlefield Protection Program of the U.S. National Park Service.

Join us as we welcome Revolutionary Spaces to discuss their plans for the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, including their new exhibit on the destruction of property in public protests. We will also discuss the important role the Old South Meeting House in the Boston Tea Party and the history of this great historic site.

Join us as we discuss the excavation and successful recovery of the remains of 14 veterans of the August 16, 1780, Battle of Camden with James Legg and Steven Smith, Ph.D., the lead archeologists of the Camden Re-Burial Project which began in September 2022. We will discuss the indepth research conducted and the precise archaeological work that was done on the battlefield. This is a great opportunity to learn about a rare discovery on a American Revolutionary War battlefield.

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, we are excited to have Dr. Benjamin Carp author of the book "Defiance of the Patriots: The Boston Tea Party and the Making of America." Dr. Carp's book is one of the preeminent works on the Boston Tea Party.

Dr. Carp currently holds the Daniel M. Lyons Chair in American History at Brooklyn College as a member of its History Department and is affiliated Faculty in the History Program of the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He specializes in the history of the American Revolution and the eighteenth century, particularly in the seaport cities of eastern North America. He has written about firefighting, gunpowder explosions, fear, Quaker merchants in Charleston, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson’s Embargo of 1807–1809.

Join us for a great discussion on the history of the Boston Tea Party, the complicated genesis of the event, its implications globally and dispelling some myths.

Dr. Joseph Warren is considered by many "the lost hero of the American Revolution." Warren was the brainchild of the revolution movement in Boston. Warren was involved in almost every major insurrectionary act in the Boston area for a decade, from the Stamp Act protests to the Boston Massacre to the Boston Tea Party, and his incendiary writings included the famous Suffolk Resolves, which helped unite the colonies against Britain and inspired the Declaration of Independence.

As we approach the 250th commemoration of the Boston Tea Party, we will focus on Warren's life, his role in the Boston Tea Party and his lasting impact on the Revolution. Grab a drink and join us as we talk with author and historian Christian Di Spigna. His ground breaking biography Warren properly places Warren along other Revolutionary icons of Adams, Washington and Jefferson.

Join Emerging Revolutionary War historian and co-founder Rob Orrison and ERW historian Mark Wilcox as they talk about their latest book in the Emerging Revolutionary War Series, "All That Can Be Expected: The Battle of Camden and the British High Tide in the South, August 16, 1780"

Join author Jason Bohm for a discussion of his new book published by Savas Beatie, Washington’s Marines: The Origins of the Corps and the American Revolution, 1775-1777. Bohm's book examines the Marine Corps’ humble beginnings and what it achieved during the early years of the American Revolution. Jason Bohm's eye-opening Washington’s Marines tells of the Corps' origins and achievements in the early years of the Revolutionary War.

Join the ERW historians for a lively debate on Revolutionary War battlefields, preserved and non preserved. What are some of our favorites, some that more preservation is needed and must see spots on battlefields. Grab a drink and tune in!

Join ERW as we discuss the famous Weems stories about George Washington with historian and author James Bish. George Washington’s lifetime family associations, primarily his Ball family relations, were relied on by Washington's first biographer Parson Weems. James Bish's new book "I Can't Tell A Lie" looks into the Washington and Ball family associations, along with Weems’ family associations. Relying on these close associations, he identifies the sources for Weems’ many anecdotes regarding Washington. Mr. Bish will also focus on the many Revolutionary War connections including The Prayer at Valley Forge, Dr James Craik, Col. William Grayson, John Cadwalader, Henry Lee II and Henry Lee lll. Were these true stories or mere myths? Listen as we explore.

This December will see the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. To many historians, this event is the seminal event that leads to the American Revolution. Join us as we talk with staff of the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum on the history of the events leading up to and on December 16, 1773, learn more about their interactive museum and learn about all the events planned around this year's 250th anniversary.

Join Emerging Revolutionary War as we discuss the latest book and this amazing historical tale with historian and author Tom McMillan. "Our Flag Was Still There" details the improbable two-hundred-year journey of the original Star-Spangled Banner—from Fort McHenry in 1814, when Francis Scott Key first saw it, to the Smithsonian in 2023—and the enduring family who defended, kept, hid, and ultimately donated the most famous flag in American history.

Join ERW as we sit down with historian Jim Piecuch to discuss the Battle of Waxhaws which occurred on May 29, 1780.

To celebrate Mother's Day, join us as we talk with the staff of the Washington Heritage Museums (who manage the Mary Washington House Museum in Fredericksburg) about the complex relationship between Mary Washington and her son. Also learn about how WHM will be managing the newly acquired grave site of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg.

Emerging Revolutionary War returns to the War of 1812 with a discussion of the first part of the campaign that eventually led to the climatic Battle of Baltimore. This discussion will center around the action at Bladensburg and the movement to Baltimore. Joining Emerging Revolutionary War historian Phillip S. Greenwalt will be Daniel Davis, Senior Education Manager for the American Battlefield Trust.

We are celebrating our three year anniversary of holding our Rev War Revelries! We discuss some random topics on the Revolutionary War and share some of our research and work we are each involved in. So grab a drink and prepare for a fun hour of chat with ERW.

In May 1782, Colonel William Crawford led over 450 volunteers across Ohio to attack British-allied Native Americans who had been raiding the frontiers of Pennsylvania and Virginia for years. An experienced yet reluctant commander, Crawford and his men clashed with a similarly sized force of British Rangers and Wyandot, Delaware, and Shawnee Indians on the Sandusky River in early June. After three days, the Americans were routed in one of the worst defeats American arms suffered on the frontier during the American Revolution. During the retreat, Native American warriors captured dozens of men, including Colonel Crawford. Many were horrifically tortured to death in revenge for the Gnadenhutten massacre earlier that spring, when American volunteers bludgeoned nearly one hundred unarmed and unresisting Delaware Indians to death. Join us for a recorded talk with historian and author Eric Sterner as he discusses Crawford's Campaign and his new book "The Battle of Upper Sandusky, 1782" due out this spring.

This Rev War Revelry focuses on British General Benedict Arnold's operations in Virginia in 1781, including the capture and burning of Richmond. We will be joined by Virginia historians John Pagano and Mark Wilcox, who will help bring to life the story of when Arnold turned his sword against the people he once called his comrades and countrymen.

Emerging Revolutionary War welcomes historian and author Mike Cecere to discuss his latest book: "Williamsburg at War: Virginia's Capital in the Revolutionary War." Williamsburg witnessed many crucial events during the Revolution and war. From the Stamp Tax Resolves of 1765, meetings at the Raleigh Tavern in 1769 and 1774, the gunpowder incident and formation of troops in 1775, the unanimous decision of the 5th Virginia Convention to support American independence in May 1776, the steady support of the continental army throughout the war, two brief enemy occupations in 1781, and finally, as a staging area for the Siege of Yorktown in 1781, Williamsburg played a significant role in the Revolution and Revolutionary War.

The Battle of Eutaw Springs took place on September 8, 1781, and was among the last in the War of Independence. It was brutal in its combat and reprisals, with Continental and Whig militia fighting British regulars and Loyalist regiments. Although its outcome was seemingly inconclusive, the battle, fought near present-day Eutawville, South Carolina, contained all the elements that defined the war in the South. Shrouded in myth and misconception, the battle has also been overshadowed by the surrender of Yorktown.  Eutaw Springs represented lost opportunities for both armies. The American forces were desperate for a victory in 1781, and Gen. Nathanael Greene finally had the ground of his own choosing. British forces under Col. Alexander Stewart were equally determined to keep a solid grip on the territory they still held in the South Carolina lowcountry.  In one of the bloodiest battles of the war, both armies sustained heavy casualties with each side losing nearly 20 percent of its soldiers. Neither side won the hard-fought battle, and controversies plagued both sides in the aftermath. Join us as we talk about the Battle Eutaw Springs with ERW"s own Bert Dunkerly, co-author of the book Eutaw Springs: The Final Battle of the American Revolution's Southern Campaign.

Join us as we welcome author Gene Procknow to discuss his new book: "William Hunter - Finding Free Speech: A British Soldier’s Son Who Became an Early American." During the American Revolution, Hunter accompanied his father on a campaign to fight the American Rebels. Witnessing first-hand the terrors of combat and twice experiencing capture, Hunter wrote the only surviving account written by a child of a British soldier during the American Revolution. Previously unknown, the journal is one of the most important document discoveries in recent years. He later became a prominent newspaper editor and representative. Join us as we learn more about this fascinating story from early American history.

British cartographer William Faden is well known for his maps depicting major battles of the Revolutionary War. Unusually, he produced two maps of the Battle of Brandywine, one in 1778 and the other in 1784. Each map shows troop movements and positions along with other aspects of the overall battlefield landscape, but each conveys significantly different information.  Andrew Outten, historical programs manager for the American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati, will discuss the Battle of Brandywine, key differences between the two maps, and recent discoveries pertaining to those differences.

During the War for Independence, Fort Ticonderoga’s guns, sited critically between Lakes Champlain and George, dominated north-south communications in upstate New York that were vital to both the British and American war efforts. In the public mind Ticonderoga was the “American Gibraltar” or the “Key to the Continent,” and patriots considered holding the fort essential to the success of the Revolutionary cause. Join us for this installment of our Rev War Revelry series as we welcome back award-winning historian, Dr. Mark Edward Lender, to discuss his newest book and the importance of Fort Ticonderoga in the oft-forgotten latter years of the Revolutionary War in Upstate New York.

Join our Emerging Revolutionary War historians for a discussion on highlights from the Valley Forge - Monmouth tour in 2022 and reveal where we are headed in November 2023. We will also discuss other upcoming 2023 projects.

Join us as we highlight Emerging Revolutionary War's newest book "Unhappy Catastrophes: The American Revolution in Central New Jersey, 1776–1782" by Robert M. Dunkerly. The book follows the course of the war through its various phases and details lesser-known battles, military campsites, raids, espionage, and more. The book also includes historic sites to visit, markers, and websites for further research and study. We will sit down with the author and discuss the book, the events and personalities in central New Jersey and places to visit today.

In the summer of 2022, archaeologists discovered the remains of 13 Hessians who had been killed during the Battle of Red Bank in New Jersey. The Battle of Red Bank was fought on October 22, 1777 and resulted in the deaths of dozens of Hessian soldiers. Join Emerging Revolutionary War as we welcome one of the archaeologists who worked on the project, Wade Catts, to discuss the battle, the surprising discovery that occurred this summer, and what we can learn from archaeology about the men who fought the battle 245 years ago.

This October marks the 241st anniversary of the Siege of Yorktown. Before Cornwallis was forced into his works at Yorktown, American and British forces sparred across Virginia in a series of moves and countermoves. We welcome back Dr. John Maass to our Sunday night Rev War Revelry as we discuss the events of 1781 in Virginia and Dr. Maass' book "Road to Yorktown."

The Saratoga Campaign and Battle of Saratoga sit near the top of numerous "Turning Points of the Revolutionary War" lists. It is a story that has been told many times. New research has shed additional light on the campaign's well-known and trivial parts.  Join Saratoga National Historical Park interpreter and historian Eric Schnitzer as we explore new research being conducted about the campaign. Eric also authored the text of Don Troiani's Campaign to Saratoga - 1777: The Turning Point of the Revolutionary War in Paintings, Artifacts, and Historical Narrative.

The Battle of Fort McHenry is well known in American history. The defense of the fort which protected Baltimore harbor turned back the British in September 1814 and led to the writing of the poem and future national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner."  Less though is known about the accompanying land battle, fought between the British and American militia at North Point on September 12, 1814. Tune in to this "Rev War Revelry" as Emerging Revolutionary War discusses the action at North Point with historians Jim Bailey and Chris Boyle.

On July 9, 1755, British regulars and American colonial troops under the command of General Edward Braddock, commander in chief of the British Army in North America, were attacked by French and Native American forces shortly after crossing the Monongahela River and while making their way to besiege Fort Duquesne in the Ohio Valley, a few miles from what is now Pittsburgh. The long line of red-coated troops struggled to maintain cohesion and discipline as Indian warriors quickly outflanked them and used the dense cover of the woods to masterful and lethal effect. Within hours, a powerful British army was routed, its commander mortally wounded, and two-thirds of its forces casualties in one the worst disasters in military history.  Join us for this Rev War Revelry as we sit down with historian David L. Preston to discuss his book and this critical event in America's colonial history.

Join historian Phill Greenwalt as he discusses the impact Nathanael Greene had on improving the supply situation during the Valley Forge encampment in 1777-1778 with Dan Davis of the American Battlefield Trust. Washington's trust in Greene was affirmed by Greene's improvement of the Quartermaster Department of Washington's Army at Valley Forge.

Join ERW as we discuss the Conway Cabal with award winning historian Dr. Mark Lender, author of Cabal! The Plot Against General Washington. We will discuss details of the "cabal" and the politics that impacted the events around the Battle of Monmouth.

Emerging Revolutionary War is joined by Paul Soltis, historian with the New Jersey State Park Service at the Wallace House and Old Dutch Parsonage State Historic Sites. The Wallace House served as George Washington's headquarters during the winter at Middlebrook, New Jersey in 1778-1779. While most Americans have heard of Valley Forge, the winter cantonment at Middlebrook is often overlooked. We discuss the important historic events that occurred there and what visitors to the area can see today.

On June 9, 1772, a group of prominent Rhode Islanders rowed out to His Majesty’s schooner Gaspee, which had run aground six miles south of Providence while on an anti-smuggling patrol. After threatening and shooting its commanding officer, the raiders looted the vessel and burned it to the waterline. An often overlooked event that occurred between the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party, we will speak with historian Steven Park, author of the book "The Burning of His Majesty's Schooner Gaspee" about the events that occurred 250 years ago.

We welcome our good friend John Adams of Liberty Cigars. John takes inspiration from the Founding Fathers and Revolutionary War figures to create his cigars. We talk about his love of history and how it evolved into a cigar company and some of his upcoming projects.

Next to Fort McHenry, the Battle of New Orleans is the best-known event of the War of 1812. Join historians Kevin Pawlak, Sean Michael Chick, and George Best for a look at the campaign that brought American and British armies to the Crescent City.

On September 8, 1755, two armies clashed along the southern shore of Lake George in New York’s Adirondack Mountains. The battle between William Johnson’s force of colonial provincials and Mohawk allies and Baron de Dieskau’s French and Native American army would decide who possessed the lower part of the strategic water highway system that connected New York City with Quebec. Join author and ERW historian Billy Griffith for a discussion about this crucial event in the early stages of the French and Indian War that can be considered one of the first true “American” victories against professional foreign troops.

Join Emerging Revolutionary War historians as we reflect on the two years of "Rev War Revelry" programming and give updates about projects, programs, and tours coming up in the year 2022!

Join us as we talk with ERW historian and author Robert Dunkerly on his new book on the fighting at Birmingham Hill during the Battle of Brandywine. Dunkerkly's book, Decision at Brandywine: The Battle on Birmingham Hill, covers in detail the pivotal fighting at Brandywine on September 11, 1777, one of the largest battles of the American Revolution.

Emerging Revolutionary War welcomes all the way from the Ireland, historian and archaeologist Damian Shiels to talk about the Irish 1798 rebellion, the Battle of Vinegar Hill, and how archaeology has helped define the battlefield.