Smallpox and the American Revolution

During the 1700’s, smallpox epidemics raged throughout the American colonies. They would severely impact the new Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.  The first signs came during the early battles of the American Revolution in 1775-1776 – at the siege of Boston, the siege of Quebec, and Britain’s Virginia regiments.  These deadly outbreaks pushed WashingtonContinue reading “Smallpox and the American Revolution”

Shays Rebellion of 1786, the 1st American Insurrection

Shays Rebellion of 1786 was a series of violent attacks by rural landowners on county courthouses and armories in Massachusetts.  It led to a full-blown military confrontation with the state militia in the winter of 1787.

The Forgotten Ride of America’s “Female” Paul Revere

Most Americans have heard the tale of Paul Revere and his famous Midnight Ride, shouting “The British are Coming!” But I’ll wager you’ve never heard of the equally heroic “female Paul Revere,” named Sibbell Ludington. Her trip was 2 years later in 1777, twice as long as Revere’s, and she was only a 16 yearContinue reading “The Forgotten Ride of America’s “Female” Paul Revere”