"We Nathaniel Mulliken, Philip Russell, [and 32 other men], All of lawful age, and inhabitants of Lexington, in the County of Middlesex...do testify and declare, that on the nineteenth [of April] in the morning, being informed that...a body of regulars were marching from Boston towards Concord...and soon found that a large body of troops were marching towards us...whilst our backs were turned on the troops, we were fired on by them, and a number of our men were instantly killed and wounded..."^* Thus "the shot heard around the world" [video | 10:01] led American colonialists (eventually with the help of the French) on the path to founding a new nation [video | 54:04].
posted by ericb on Apr 19, 2008 - 42 comments

Why not celebrate our Independence Day with the violent overthrow of the government? Some say they want a revolution, others would rather secede. Should we stay or should we go?
posted by Eideteker on Jul 4, 2007 - 40 comments

Peale’s Mastodon by Paul Semonin. "The skeleton preoccupied American patriots for another reason less scientific in nature–one which helps to explain why its bones were eagerly sought after by the Founding Fathers during and after the Revolutionary War. For many Americans, the great beast had become a symbol of the new nation’s own conquering spirit–an emblem of overwhelming power in a psychologically insecure society." An interesting article about Americans trying to understand mammoths, from Common-Place, the web magazine of early American history. Semion wrote a book on the topic, American Monster.
posted by LarryC on Oct 8, 2006 - 4 comments

" 'How is it,' asked Samuel Johnson, 'that we hear the loudest yelps for liberty among the drivers of negroes?' The British author was only one of many Europeans who thought it strange that a nation run by slave owners should be so noisily demanding its own freedom."
posted by j-urb on Jul 4, 2006 - 32 comments

Loyalists in the American Revolution. Compelled to leave their homes in the Thirteen Colonies for their loyalty to the Crown, many of them settled in Canada. Also: Loyalist Regiments, Black Loyalists, Loyalist Songs, Reenactment groups, Indian Loyalists, and assorted personalities.
posted by pooligan on Aug 22, 2003 - 11 comments

Directly from the Horse Rider's Mouth... Paul Revere’s personal account of his 1775 ride through the countryside relates a tale less an individual effort than a team one. via Baseball Crank
posted by vito90 on Jun 27, 2003 - 8 comments

"You will have heard, Dr Sir I doubt not long before this can have reached you that Sir W. Howe is gone from hence. The Rebels imagine that he is gone to the Eastward. By this time however he has filled Chesapeak bay with surprize and terror." - Sir Henry Clinton

Spy Letters of the American Revolution is an excellent site offering such gems as a captured letter written from Rachel Revere to husband Paul, a message from a colonial scientist written in invisible ink, and Benedict Arnold's encrypted message to the British offering to surrender West Point for £20,000. The site includes photos of the documents, back-stories on each letter, profiles of the people involved, and descriptions of methodology, as well as a timeline and route map.
posted by taz on Oct 31, 2002 - 8 comments