Tory Retaliation for Nathaniel Freeman’s March on Barnstable Courthouse?

Posted by on Mar 30, 2010 in 1763-1775, 18th Century, All Posts, American Revolutionary War, Colonial America, Major Historical Events | 6 Comments

On September 27, 1774, 26-year-old Dr. Nathaniel Freeman of Sandwich, Massachusetts, led 1500 Patriots from the Cape Cod area in “the first open overt act done in the face of day without disguise, which according to the British jurisprudence, would be called treason,” as reflected on the 1774 event in the June 3, 1837 issue ...

Read More

Pre-Revolutionary War Betting Odds

Posted by on Mar 27, 2010 in 1763-1775, 18th Century, All Posts, American Revolutionary War, Colonial America, Humor | 3 Comments

If you were a gambling American in late 1774, you would have appreciated reading these betting odds, published in the October 24, 1774 issue of the Newport Mercury (Rhode Island). “Five to one that if the sword is drawn, General Gage mistakes a windmill for a magazine of arms, and is more intent on gaining ...

Read More

Colonial Newspapers: Unsung Heroes of the American Revolution

Posted by on Mar 19, 2010 in 1754-1763, 1763-1775, 1775-1783, 18th Century, All Posts, American Revolutionary War, Colonial America, Colonial Printing, Journalism Milestones, Major Historical Events, Prelude to Independence | 2 Comments

Colonial newspapers are unsung heroes of the American Revolution and the Revolutionary War. Specifically, several newspapermen and women deserve recognition for their role in America’s founding, including: Benjamin Edes and John Gill, Boston Gazette Isaiah Thomas, Massachusetts Spy William Goddard, Pennsylvania Chronicle Peter Timothy, South Carolina Gazette Thomas Green, Connecticut Courant John Holt, New York ...

Read More

The Originial Flag of the Thirteen United States

Posted by on Jan 17, 2010 in 18th Century, All Posts, American Revolutionary War, Major Historical Events | 3 Comments

On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed the Flag Resolution stating: “That the flag of the Thirteen United States be Thirteen Stripes, alternate red and white: That the union be Thirteen Stars white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” The brief article pictured above was published in the lower right-hand corner ...

Read More

The Real First President of the United States

Posted by on Jan 10, 2010 in 18th Century, All Posts, Oddities, Presidents | No Comments

A Googling of “John Hanson” reveals some controversy over whether he should be considered the first President of the United States, the third or just President of the Continental Congress (leaving the POTUS title for GW). The fact is that John Hanson was indeed the first President of the Continental Congress elected under the terms ...

Read More