Much of New York during the Revolutionary era was frontier wilderness, sparsely populated and bitterly divided. Although the only major campaign in the region would end at the Battle of Saratoga, factional raiding parties traversed the mountains and valleys of the Adirondacks throughout the war. Sir Christopher Carleton led groups of Loyalists, Hessians and Iroquois in successful attacks along Lake Champlain, capturing forts and striking fear in local villages. Mohawk war chief Joseph Brant led a motley band of irregulars known as “Brant’s Volunteers” in chaotic raids against Patriot targets. Marauding brothers Edward and Ebenezer Jessup brought suffering to the very lands they had purchased years before in Kingsbury, Queensbury and Fort Edward. Author Marie Danielle Annette Williams covers the history of the Adirondacks during the Revolutionary War.

Washington's Harrowing Escape from the Hudson Valley

In October 1776 central Westchester witnessed a critical episode in the early campaign of George Washington’s ragtag Continental Army and its quest for American independence. Often overlooked as just an interval between the disastrous Battle of Brooklyn and victory at Trenton, the Battle of White Plains showcased Washington’s sly strategy of perseverance.  Poor decision making and ignorance of the area’s hilly terrain among British leadership gave the patriot army a chance to secure a path to safety despite being on the run and outmanned. Though British General Howe claimed victory, the battle’s lessons informed Washington’s cat and mouse strategy that ultimately brought success later in the war.  

Author Stephen Paul DeVillo presents just how close the American cause for independence came to being extinguished at the Battle of White Plains.

“They neither need defense nor eulogy but only just recognition." - Nathanael Greene monument plaque

Despite their contributions in the late period of the American Revolution, the Virginia Line did not garner the same publicity as other units. What was written down often contained errors or misunderstandings regarding the nature of the battalions and their service. Consequently, much of that service has been forgotten. Following the disasters of Charleston and Waxhaws, officers such as Peter Muhlenberg, Nathanael Greene and the Baron de Steuben were left with the difficult task of rebuilding the ranks. This proved to be challenging. Uniformed in blue jackets and later called “the regiment of Hell-fired-blues of the Virginia Line,” the reformed Continentals would reinforce that name in campaigns such as Cowpens, Guilford Courthouse and Yorktown. Using primary sources and firsthand accounts, author John Settle gives a voice to those honorable veterans who many have forgotten.

New Hampshire was one of the first colonies to declare its independence from British rule. The patriotism and courage demonstrated in that act were by no means unprecedented--just before they began the Revolution, state residents attacked British-occupied Fort William and Mary in December 1774. While no battles were fought within the borders of the Granite State, these loyal sons of liberty contributed more men than any other state. Author Bruce D. Heald, PhD, celebrates the achievements and experiences of New Hampshire throughout the American Revolution. Learn how General John Stark gained battle experience in the French and Indian War that allowed him to successfully lead the First New Hampshire Regiment. Heald offers an in-depth description of the state's regiments, forts (including the Fort at Number 4 in Charlestown) and distinguished Patriots in addition to the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

The American Revolution sharply divided families and towns on Long Island. Washington's defeat at the Battle of Long Island in August 1776 started seven years of British occupation.

Patriot sympathizers were subject to loyalty oaths, theft of property and the quartering of soldiers in their homes. Those who crossed the British were jailed on prison ships in Wallabout Bay in Brooklyn, where an estimated eleven thousand people died of disease and starvation. Some fought back with acts of sabotage and espionage. Washington's famed Culper spy ring in Oyster Bay, Setauket and other areas successfully tracked British movements. Dr. Joanne S. Grasso explores the story of an island at war.