Battle of Monmouth and the Legend of Molly Pitcher
According to legend, at the Battle of Monmouth (June 28, 1778), Mary Hays, wife of artilleryman William Hays, carried water to cool both the cannon and the soldiers …
American Revolutionary War
Washington on His Ragged Army: “men without clothes to cover their nakedness, without blankets to lay on, without shoes… marching through frost and snow…”
Df, in Robert Hanson Harrison’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. GW made revisions to the draft, the most significant of which are discussed in the notes below. The …
Did Isaac Potts Really See Washington Pray at Valley Forge?
One of the legends or myths of Valley Forge is that Washington prayed for his country here. We do not say that he did not …
General Washington and his Troops arrive at Valley Forge
The images are heartrending, dramatic and so powerful that they are embedded in the nation’s historical consciousness: Bloody footprints in the snow left by bootless …
Quakeress and Ardent Patriot, Lydia Darragh, Risked her Life to Warn Washington of Secret British Plans for a Surprise Attack.”
Lydia Darragh was a Quaker woman who crossed enemy lines during the British occupation of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her mission was to pass information to General George …
The Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation, passed by the US Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, was enacted on March 1, 1781 as the founding constitution of …
The Continental Congress made a National Thanksgiving Day Proclamation
As printed in the Journals of Congress below… IN CONGRESS – November 1, 1777 Forasmuch as it is the indispensable duty of all men to …
Thomas Paine: “THOSE who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, …undergo the fatigues of supporting it”
THOSE who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it. The event of yesterday was one of …
Congress Proposes Purchase of 20,000 Bibles
In colonial America, Bibles had to be imported from Britain, as the British government strictly regulated the printing of religious materials. It was illegal to …
The Stars and Stripes are Born with the Passing of the Flag Act on June 14, 1777
In the United States, Flag Day is observed on June 14, which commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States by a resolution …