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Where Patriots vs. Loyalists wasn’t a slogan—it was your neighbor

Across the rugged ridges of Southern Appalachia, the fight for American independence took on a raw and uncertain life of its own. Long before the ink dried on the Declaration of Independence, the backcountry of Western North Carolina and what would become Eastern Tennessee was already a pressure cooker of rebellion, loyalty, and survival. Here, far from Philadelphia’s debating halls, the American Revolution unfolded in skirmishes, alliances, and personal gambles that helped shape the future United States. Although George Washington never set foot in these mountains, the region’s role in the American War of Independence proved critical. Patriots, Loyalists, frontier dissidents, and multiple Native American nations fought for control of strategic valleys, trade routes, and communities. Their clashes left lasting marks on both regional identity and the national story. From shifting frontier loyalties to decisive campaigns, this was a battleground where everyday families became part of America’s founding struggle. Award-winning historian Michael C. Hardy brings the era to life with clear research, vivid storytelling, and a deep understanding of Appalachian history. Through profiles of influential figures, accounts of pivotal events, and insights into the geopolitical stakes of the backcountry, Hardy reveals how this overlooked frontier helped forge the nation.

Discover and celebrate the heritage of Cape May County's revolutionary patriots.

Descendants of whalers and those accustomed to hard living, the people of Cape May County served their emerging country on land and sea. They fought in the Continental army and the local militia at places like Brandywine and Germantown, and they fought at sea and on Delaware Bay, mostly as privateers. Their activities devilled the vaunted British navy and damaged the British war effort. Men like the Stillwell brothers, Nicholas and Enoch, prowled the waters around Egg Harbor and Peck’s Beach. Others, like successful Philadelphia lawyer and merchant Thomas Leaming, financed privateer ventures at the risk of losing everything.

Cape May County author Ray Rebmann tells the story of the roles played by local men and women in securing America’s liberty. 

The Battle for North America

In the mid-1750s, New York was caught in the crossfire as the British and French struggled for control of North America. During the French and Indian War, the Adirondack Mountain region saw numerous military encounters around Lakes George and Champlain while Sir William Johnson, Robert Rogers, John Stark, Phineas Lyman, and others carved their names in the annals of American history. Powerful fortifications rose and fell as the English and the French brawled; forts such as Fort William Henry, Fort Ticonderoga, and Fort Saint-Frederic/Fort Crown Point housed troops, endured sieges, and received their own battle scars over the course of the war. Author Marie Danielle Annette Williams uncovers the complex history of the Adirondacks during its most tumultuous time.  

Meet the New England revolutionary Patriots who became Michigan pioneers.

The counties of South Central Michigan are the resting place of more than forty Revolutionary War Patriots. These men fought pivotal battles like Ticonderoga, Princeton, Bennington, Saratoga, and Yorktown, and when the fighting was done, they pioneered through western New York and across the Ohio Valley before claiming Michigan as their final home. Moses Cook of Massachusetts fought in some of the most lethal battles of the Revolution and endured a deadly winter in Valley Forge. Massachusetts native Lothario Danielson helped to squash a homegrown rebellion and authored a report on meningitis. Only one month after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Connecticut native William Maples was inspired to join the Connecticut militia. 

Exploring the lives of these men before and after the war, local authors David Van Hoof and Linda Hass tell the stories of these unsung heroes of the indomitable American spirit.

From daring escapes and naval skirmishes to the resilience of everyday people, The Revolution on Raritan Bay reveals how this region’s sacrifices and conflicts influenced the outcome of America’s independence.

Raritan Bay was more than a body of water during the American Revolution—it was a front line. Its villages, farms, and ports became places where Patriots, Loyalists, and those in between clashed in a struggle that reshaped the colonies. Smugglers, privateers, and spies used its waters and inlets to move men, messages, and supplies. Families were torn apart, neighbors eyed one another with suspicion, and violent raids brought the war directly to the doorsteps of New Jersey residents.

Historian and television host John R. Schneider uncovers these overlooked stories, weaving together local accounts with the broader fight for liberty. 

In Defense of Democracy

The focal point of western defense against Soviet aggression during the Cold War, California proved instrumental in preventing a Third World War during the twentieth century. The state’s major military presence on land, air, and sea diverged with a peaceful counterpart that created the United Nations in San Francisco in 1946.

Muroc Field, the future Edward Air Force Base, was the site of Chuck Yeager’s feat breaking the sound barrier in 1947, and Lockheed Skunkworks produced the top-secret high-tech U2 Dragon Lady and SR-71 in Southern California. Cold War presidents, stalwarts Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, both hailed from the Golden State. Billionaire Howard Hughes, who made his mark in aviation and the movies, provided cover for the Glomar Explorer mission to recover a sunken Soviet submarine in the Pacific.

Hollywood was a two-sided coin, supporting both pro-American movie messaging and becoming a flash point for government investigations into Communist sympathies.

Cold War historians Francis Gary Powers Jr., Christopher Sturdevant, and Franky Ortega delve into California’s role in winning the Cold War.