Before the Revolution: The Thirteen colonies are in red, the pink area was claimed by Great Britain after the French and Indian War, and the orange region was claimed by Spain. Note that this map does not show the bulk of British North America of that tim
From the time the first European settlers landed on the East Coast in the early 1600s, they began to reshape the North American continent to suit their needs. They cut down forests for lumber, drained wetlands to plant crops, diverted streams to power...
Before the Revolutionary era, men and women living in the British Colonies did not think of themselves as "Americans" but rather as British citizens and colonists. They imagined that they were ambassadors of culture, bringing European civilization...
By the time of the American Revolution (1775–83), American writers had ventured beyond the Puritan literary style and its religious themes and had developed styles of writing that grew from distinctly American experiences. (The Puritans were a...
The fertile North American continent provided its inhabitants with much free time for recreation and leisure. Colonists had brought with them European games and sports such as bowling, football, cricket, quoits, and cards. Some of these activities,...
Former American General Benedict Arnold (1741–1801)—now fighting for the British—easily took Richmond, Virginia, on January 5, 1781. George Washington (1732–1799), commander in chief of American forces, responded by sending...
If asked about the impact of the American Revolution on family life, those who experienced the conflict would most likely have pointed to practical difficulties: the absence of men in military service, the economic disruptions of war, and, for some,...
Memories of the American Revolution have been a powerful element in American nationalism from the beginning of the country. Even while the Revolution was taking place, Americans hoped they were participating in a series of events that would long be...
In 1783 William Alld was discharged from the Continental Army. The eight-year war, the longest in American history until the Vietnam War, was over. Like thousands of other veterans of the Revolutionary War, Alld made his way home alone. No parade, no...
The American Revolution refers to the period during the last half of the 18th century in which the Thirteen Colonies that became the United States of America gained independence from the British Empire. In this period, the Colonies united against the...
