April 5, 2020
General Burgoyne assembles his army in Canada. His army of thousands, led by Simon Fraser, William Phillips, Baron von Rediesel assembles in the early summer of 1777 to march on Fort Ticonderoga, then down the Hudson valley to cut of New England and reestablish British authority.
Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic.
Book Recommendation of the Week: Where a Man Can Go: Major General William Phillips, British Royal Artillery, 1731-1781, by Robert P. Davis.
Online Recommendation of the Week: History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, by Francis Duncan: https://archive.org/details/historyroyalreg02duncgoog
March 29, 2020
Throughout the Revolution, disease was a far greater killer of soldiers than the enemy. This week, we discuss how people suffered from disease during the Revolutionary War, how it impacted the course of the war, and what they did to fight back.
Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic.
Book Recommendation of the Week: Medicine and the American Revolution: How Diseases and Their Treatments Affected the Colonial Army, by Oscar Reiss.
Online Recommendation of the Week: The American Revolution: from the commencement to the disbanding of the American army; given in the form of a daily journal, with the exact dates of all the important events; also, a biographical sketch of all the most prominent generals, by James Thacher: https://archive.org/details/americanrevoluti00thacuoft
March 22, 2020
Congress returns from its removal to Baltimore after the fear of British occupation of Philadelphia passes. The new session approves a new American flag on June 14, 1777. Congress also promotes new generals. It must deal with an influx of French officer applicants that it does not want, but also does not want to offend France. Finally, after several months, Congress once again leaves Philadelphia after the British threaten another occupation.
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Book Recommendation of the Week: Robert Morris Financier of the American Revolution, Charles Rappleye
Online Recommendation of the Week: https://www.chamberofcommerce.org/usflag/history/flagday.html
March 15, 2020
The British attempt to lure the Continental Army out of the Watchung mountains by marching back into New Jersey. General Washington refuses to engage. After the British withdraw, the Americans move down out of the mountains. General Howe moves his army back to cut off Washington's path back into the mountains. A fierce defense led by General Lord Stirling slows the British advance long enough for the Americans to move back into the mountains. Unwilling to engage them there, the British return to New York.
Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic.
Book Recommendation of the Week: Every Insult and Indignity: The Life Genius and Legacy of Major Patrick Ferguson, by Ricky Roberts and Bryan Brown
Online Recommendation of the Week: Major-General the Earl of Stirling; an Essay in Biography, by Ludwig Schumacher: https://archive.org/details/majorgeneralearl00schu
March 1, 2020
Patriots invade East Florida in hopes of capturing the colony and eliminating the British threat from St. Augustine. The small and divided force is massacred at Thomas Creek as they retreat back to Georgia. Meanwhile the fighting between Georgia's political leader, Button Gwinnett and Continental General Lachlan McIntosh leads to a duel.
Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic.
Book Recommendation of the Week: Lachlan McIntosh and the Politics of Revolutionary Georgia, by Harvey Jackson, III.
Online Recommendation of the Week: Button! by Stephen Colbert and Lin-Manuel Miranda https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhFeQSBZUSk
February 23, 2020
Continental Navy Captain Lambert Wickes delivers Benjamin Franklin to France, then attacks British shipping in British waters, nearly provoking a war between Britain and France.
Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic.
Book Recommendation of the Week: Lambert Wickes Sea Raider and Diplomat: The Story of a Navel Captain of the Revolution, by William Bell Clark, and The Golden Voyage: The Life and Times of William Bingham, 1752-1804, by Robert C. Alberts
Online Recommendation of the Week: Philadelphia Free Library Interlibrary Loan Program: https://libwww.freelibrary.org/illiad
February 9, 2020
An army of regulars led by New York Governor and General William Tryon, raid an American supply depot at Danbury, Connecticut. American resistance led by General David Wooster and Benedict Arnold resulted it the battle of Ridgefield and many British casualties.
General Wooster died in the fighting, while General Arnold's performance finally led to his promotion to major general.
Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic.
Book Recommendation of the Week: Call to Arms: The Patriot Militia in the 1777 British Raid on Danbury, Connecticut, by Stephen Darley
Online Recommendation of the Week: An account of Tryon's raid on Danbury in April, 1777, also the battle of Ridgefield and the career of Gen. David Wooster, by James Case: https://archive.org/details/accountoftryonsr00case
February 2, 2020
A large British force attacks General Lincoln at Bound Brook New Jersey. Lord Cornwallis hopes to capture the relatively isolated Continental force that is posted to defend Washington's southern flank. The British scatter the surprised Americans who mostly flee the scene. Washington sends a column under General Greene to retake Bound Brook and harass the British column as it returns to its base that same day.
Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic.
Book Recommendation of the Week: War of the Revolution, by Christopher Ward
Online Recommendation of the Week: Cockpit of the Revolution: The War for Independence in New Jersey, by Leonard Lundin: https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.86569
